Secret Angel
by Missmarybeth
Summary: Secrets are sacred...What if Jace finally found the girl of his dreams? Will Clary get over her jealousy? Will Jace finally decide to love isn't to destroy? Set at the beginning of city of bones. OC WARNING
1. Pandemonium

**I don't own The mortal instruments, all credit to Cassandra Clare. Enjoy! :)**

I sat in the corner of Pandemonium, my eyes sweeping across the crowds, taking in all the swaying people, blue hair and green skin shimmering dizzyingly in the flashing strobe lights. I see a few regulars, a girl whose skin is a sickening purple and almost translucent, her hair made completely of vines and flowers. The red velvet booth was worn and stained with multiple things, things I didn't particularly want to think about. I wore my usual denim hot pants and black floaty top, layer, cut so the sides fell just to my thighs, where as the front barely reached my waist band. My mother's black leather jacket concealed the weapons strapped to my forearms, two seraph blades, and two kindjal blades hidden in my knee high boots, and chakrams on the belt at my waist. As I leant back, I felt the bow and 3 arrows dig into my back, and instantly sat forward again wincing.

My eyes caught movement, and I spotted Ryan coming back with our drinks, two Styrofoam cups probably containing some cheap beer.

He grinned at me, falling into the seat across from me, handing me the cup. My eyes brows went up as I smelt the vodka, and I looked at him in a mix of curiosity and appreciation. He shrugged nonchalantly, looking over his cup at me slyly, grinning like an idiot. I shook my head at the vodka in my cup, rolling my eyes as I took a gulp. The liquor was sharp, slightly warm, but otherwise pleasant.

"You know Callie can't resist my charm." He joked, and I chocked on the vodka, my hand over my mouth as I tried to suppress my snorts. Callie was a faerie, one with all blue eyes and strange half green, half purple veins the protruded from her silvery skin. Downworlder's came to Pandemonium a lot, it was a popular spot for Downworlder's and Mundane's to mix.

When I finally controlled my laughter I looked over at where Callie was stood, clothed in almost see through material that hung loosely over her curves in a sort of dress. She stared openly at Ryan; he followed my line of sight, and then waved at her, resulting in a black flush of blood to her cheeks. Downworlder's -half human, half demon creatures such as faeries, werewolves, vampires and warlocks- are fascinating, strong and powerful, yet there are those who are stronger. Demons.

"You and Callie?" I asked, my voice joking, but I was serious underneath. I had never seen Ryan date anyone, let alone a Downworlder, the only girl I had seen him with is... I seriously can't think of one. Ryan's been my best friend since infancy, though the story behind our friendship is a complicated one. It's not like Ryan isn't attractive, he's good looking, with broad shoulders and pretty brown eyes. His skin seems to be permanently sun kissed, only emphasising the muscles he hardly works for. He smiles at me, his sweet, cute smile, full lips slightly pouted, cheeks dimpled.

"Why not? Because she's a Downworlder?" I saw he instantly regretted the words as they left his mouth. He himself was a Downworlder, a child of the moon, a werewolf. It was because of him that I vowed never to kill or judge Downworlder's, and I had kept that vow since I was 8 years old. I only killed the demons that haunted this earth, those who caused harm and killed. Of course, Clave law states I have the right to kill a Downworlder if they harm a human, and because of the Accords, in any other circumstance, killing a Downworlder would get you punished. He reaches across the table and touches my hand, the thought of the Clave making my stomach roll in anger. I am a Shadowhunter, but not like those who live directly under the Clave. They despise Downworlder's, but create the Accords because they want to keep the peace. They didn't want to fight on two fronts, and Downworlder's hate demons too. We have a common enemy.

"I would never stop you dating her because she's a Downworlder." I whispered, my voice suddenly refusing to rise above the music of the club. Other Shadowhunter's have Steeles, things with which they can mark runes into their skin. Runes are like spells, each one does something different, one protects, one heals, there's even one for perfect long distance vision. But for me, I only have the vials of healing serum presented to me as a gift for my 6th birthday. The vials contain serums that fight against demon venom, which is lethal, and can cure other wounds too. Usually, though, I heal like a mundane, the word used for normal humans. Ryan nods his head, his fingers lacing through mine tentatively, and I look up and smile, trying to be reassuring. Shadowhunter's are part angel, and have supposedly been sent to the earth by the Angel Raziel to defend it against demons, but Ryan isn't a demon, he isn't. He's more human than I am, and I wish he was safe around here, but he's not, Shadowhunter's do what they want, no matter who the Downworlder is friends with. Ryan's pupils dilate slightly, his lips parting, and I can feel the slight shake to his finger. I sit forward, taking his other hand in mine.

"Ryan, what's wrong?" I asked in a hushed whisper, looking around the club for danger. Ryan releases one of my hands, and brings it to my face, making me look back at him. I cock an eyebrow at him questioningly, but I don't say a word, whatever has Ryan worried must be important. He looks down momentarily, hesitating, and then he looks back up, his eyes serious and slightly wider than usual. For a second I am startled by their beauty, the way they shone, reflecting multicoloured strobes, their intensity was dazzling. I snapped out of my train of thought when I realised he was talking.

"We should go, and I mean really go. Come somewhere with me, far away from here. Please." He didn't exactly beg, he knew begging me wasn't going to make me more compliant, but his voice did hold an edge of urgency. I drew back slightly, releasing his hand and putting it on his shoulder, gripping it reassuringly. My stomach tightened when I thought about what could have possible made Ryan think running was the best option. Ryan was not scared easily, and when my brothers weren't around he was my protector, not that I needed one. He'd made piles of pulp of the guys who had dared broken my heart, had hurt anyone who dared even look at me funny. My last boyfriend, Dean, had seen the full might of Ryan when he'd slapped me for talking to another guy. Let's just say, Dean ended up in intensive care, and when he was finally released, he had three fake teeth, a broken nose and rib and a sever limp. Nothing scared Ryan, and I mean nothing. Not Mundane's, Shadowhunter or Demons.


	2. In comes the angel

**Disclaimer: I don't own The mortal instruments, all credit to cassandra Clare.**

"Ryan, you know I can't do that." Despite the fact that Manhattan wasn't the easiest city to live in, with muggers and oversized rats crawling underfoot on nearly every street, it was my home. It always had been. My mother and father had been born here, my two brothers, Ethan and Lucas had been born here. I'd never lived anywhere else, not even in Idris, the Shadowhunter's home country located between France and Germany, ordinary Mundane's can't cross over it due to the wardings, making sure they just cross over the border to Germany or France. Both my parents had promised to take me there, eventually, but that was before they died. Even though I'd never been to Idris, I'd always felt a full to it, like a string reining me in. I'd never gone, even though I'd had the opportunity. It had been a place I had wanted to go with my parent, and I could imagine going without them. Ryan looked at me, his face pleading, and his eyes wide with... Fear. The sight of his fear made my stomach tighten, made my eyes sting like they had when I'd seen my parents die. I leaned forward, taking his face in my hands, trying to sooth away the pain, but it didn't seem to be working.

"Please." This time he did beg, and I felt a sort of anger towards him for being so weak. Why? Why did we have to leave? I dropped my hands from his face when I heard a gasp from someone close. My head whipped to the side in spite of Ryan's sudden frenzied talking. Ryan was grabbing at my arm, trying to get me to face him again, and I could hear the urgency in his voice. So, what ever had made the girl behind us gasp was the thing that Ryan was so scared of. Then, I saw him.

He walked with the sort of grace associated with dancers, a certain fluid ease that seemed to make every move look effortless. Only my eyes were on him, to my surprise, as he sauntered through the room, an air of cockiness and arrogance about him. I couldn't help thinking that he deserved to be cocky, he was beautiful, and it was obvious he knew it. His hair is fine, curly and golden blond, reflecting specs of what looked like jewels, but I knew it was only the light. His eyes are a startling gold, framed by delicate long eyelashes, they are unusual, but I can't talk. My own eyes are rare, such a light, bright blue, with an outer ring of darker, sharper almost misty blue. People call me a witch, and they aren't far off.

He has a slim, muscular build and looks about 5'11". His face so beautiful, sexy, gorgeous and angular that again I'm surprised no one else is looking at him. He wears black, stiff clothing, a flexible leather jacket and a thin white shirt. Through the shirt, I can see he is covered in thin, silver and black patterns that swirled and stretched across his chest, down to his hands and disappeared below his waist band. I saw a flash of sliver in his hand, and realised what he was.

I turned back to Ryan and smiled, taking one of his hands in mine. He was taken aback, his eyes fevered, but now I was paying attention he seemed to calm his nerves slightly. I didn't understand how this Shadowhunter could make him so scared, no others had scared him. I had to admit, he was a little intimidating, but not so much as I would drop everything and run for the hills.

"Ryan, I need to think about it. Just a few days, okay? I promise." He let out a big breath, exhaling heavily, his shoulders relaxing as all the tension left him. Lying to him felt like a stab in the chest, but I had to do what was necessary. The girl in the booth had rose to her feet, and I could tell from her wide, awestruck eyes that she was not a Shadowhunter or a Downworlder. She was a mundane. Mundane's can't see Shadowhunter's, not unless they want to be seen. Glamour's are put up around them, and only those with the sight can really see them. The sight is rare, even I'm not sure how those with the sight come to be, but they can mean big danger to the Shadowhunter's as a collective.


	3. So it begins

**Disclaimer: I don't own The mortal instruments all credit to Cassandra Clare. Thankyou for all the follows and favourites and reviews it means a lot to me and I hope you enjoy the third chapter**

I watch as an Eidolon demon, masquerading as a human with shimmering blue hair and pale skin danced with a tall, slim girl in a long, flowing, low cut white indie rocker gown. Her hair was long and ink black, cascading past her shoulders in a waterfall of silky locks. She touches his shoulder, a caress I've seen girl in school do before grabbing their boyfriends, shoving them against a locker and kissing them very sexually. She's clearly comfortable with her looks, much like the boy is, but there's something not right about the way she touches him. When she thinks no one is watching, she winces slightly at the contact of his skin, and I find it weird. Maybe she was just doing it to win a bet; you'd be surprised what people did to win bets in Pandemonium

"Okay." Ryan smiles, back to normal, and I laugh, downing the rest of my drink, and then getting to my feet, a refill the perfect excuse to see what was going on. I gestured to my empty cup when Ryan looked at me funny, and he nodded, giving me his cup too. I rolled my eyes at him, muttering something about how men think women are slaves as I went. Another figure joined the blonde boy, this one had jet black hair, and his eyes were a striking blue. He had a wiry, thin build, and he was clearly related to the black haired girl, who was moving with the Eidolon demon towards the supply cupboard.

Neither of the two black haired ones seemed to have marks, and I wondered how the boy knew the blonde one. Shadowhunter's had a sort of snobbish attitude towards Mundane's; because the Nephilim are part angel, and think they are better than everyone else. I watched as the girl disappeared through the door of the supply closet with the demon, and was about to go after her when both of the boys followed her. So, maybe the mundane was just looking out for his sister, and the Shadowhunter wanted to jump into the girl's bed. She was pretty.

I was going to leave them to whatever business they had, heading to the bar to get the refills, when I saw the girl from the booth behind us hesitate, then push the supply closet door open. I dropped both of the cups as I pushed against the crowd, going after her. The blonde boy could deal with the Demon, but there was an unrelated Mundane involved, which meant they wouldn't hesitate to let her get killed. I cast a glance back at Ryan, who had been joined by the other girl who had been sitting behind us. He seemed to be pretty content with her, and I felt a slight pang of jealousy towards the coffee skinned girl. I pushed the feelings aside as I went into the room.

When the door closed behind me, I was plunged into almost darkness, little light filtering through the grimy window from the street lamps. Boxes were stacked on shelves and on the floor, cables strewn haphazardly here and there, almost snagging at my boots. I saw the black haired girl, who was holding a golden electrum whip in her right hand and the blonde haired one, who held a seraph blade up to the Demons neck, who was pinned to the wall. The other boy had his jacket off, runes decorating his arms, a bow loaded, his hair falling into his eyes slightly. They were handling the job well, their voices low and threatening, the black haired girl toying with the handle of the whip, and she held it like it was an extension of her arm. They were all Shadowhunter's, and I suddenly felt a little threatened. I'd never been around so many Shadowhunter's in my life.

I saw the girl who had been in the booth behind mine, inching forward to get a better look, her skin was dark, like packed mud, her hair black and frizzy, falling past her shoulders in an uncontrollable mane. She wore a short, leopard print dress which clung to her fully developed body. She looked about my age, 17, and she was so mundane it hurt. I couldn't imagine being so clueless, yet being able to see what other Mundane's never would. I moved silently toward her, my footsteps light, pulling a kindjal from my boot, arming myself in case things went wrong. Before I could reach her, she got her foot caught on a stray wire, and tripped, drawing all attention to her. The blonde boys head snapped around, staring at the girl in a sort of horror.

I saw the Demon move, too quick for the blonde boy to react, and launch itself onto his back. The black haired ones were quite a distance away, and I knew they wouldn't reach him in time. The demon and the boy struggled, but I could see the blonde one was losing. On instinct, my arm flew forward, letting the kindjal fly forward, straight as an arrow, and land itself in the Demons chest. The demon, stunned, stood; looking at his chest in confusion, then looked around for the one who it belonged to. He spotted me, and a grim smile spread across his face as black ichor sprayed from his chest.

"You're dead." he hissed before folding in on himself, falling forward, but before he could hit the floor, he was gone.


	4. Fight for your life

**All credit to Cassandra Clare, hope you like this chapter**

I walked over to the girl, who shrieked at me, tears falling down her face as she stared in horror at me. She must be terrified; she thinks she's seen a murder. I hold my hands out in a gesture I hope is reassuring, trying to show I mean no harm to her. She scrambles away from me, groping for a weapon in the mound of boxes. I drop my hands in frustration, turning to the three confused and astounded Shadowhunter's. I walk forward, reaching to retrieve my weapon, but the black haired girl finally finds her feet and rushes forward, grabbing it before I can react. I meet her eyes, which are narrowed and accusing, then take three chakrams from my belt, fanning them out between my fingers casually. Her gaze wavers slightly, but then she's twirling my kindjal expertly, pointing it at my neck, her face cold and menacing. I smile to myself, accepting the challenge before its been initiated.

Before the knife makes contact with my neck, my arm swings up, hitting the inside of her elbow. She lets out an almost silent yelp of surprise, and while she's off her guard, I grab her wrist and twist, stepping into her, calculating her weight, then flipping her over my shoulder, the kindjal now back in my hand. She hits the floor with a gasp, the wind knocked from her, and she just stares in shock at me. I turn to the others, the black haired boy has his bow loaded and pointed at me, but the blonde one waves his hand, signalling to disarm. The black haired one lowers his bow hesitantly, watching me warily, and I give him a smile, slipping the chakrams back into my belt.

"Enough, Alec. She did save my life." The blonde one said, his words were smooth, almost seductive, and I find it weird that a boy would speak that way to another boy. Alec blushes slightly, looking over my shoulder at his sister, who struggles to her feet, cursing in an array of languages. My eyes never leave the blonde boy, who watches me with a sort of admiration, his golden eyes brighter than the street lamps or strobe lights. The mundane starts to scream again and I spin to look at her, only to feel all of the warmth seep from my body. The girls eyes are glassy, her fingernails scratching at a long, scaled demon with a cluster of eyes set dead centre in the front of its domed skull. The Ravener clutches at her, its multiple legs and claws wiring as she struggles. It drool's green fluid from its row of fanged teeth, and is something like a cross between an Alligator, centipede and scorpion. I lung forward, my kindjal plunging deep into its slimy flesh. It wails, flinging the girl aside and facing my, its barbed tail whipping from side to side as I pull the knife, ripping through its flesh again.

It shrieks, then falls, black ichor leaking from its multiple wounds.

When it's gone, and the buzzing in my ears has vanished, I hear a low humming noise, hissing and clicking, and I turn to the other Shadowhunter's, who can hear it too. Before I can say a word, the roof caves in, falling rubble and glass hitting the ground, striking Alec on the arm. I throw my arms up, protecting my head from the debris, then stare in silent terror as demon's fall through the hole in the roof, landing all around us in their varying forms.

I throw the kindjal, and watch as it lodges in a lizard-looking demon with rodent teeth and black claws. I don't have time to watch it fall, and twitch my arms, the seraph blades falling into my hands, the dull tubes ready to be activated. I whispered their names, Cassiel and Gabriel, and as soon as they spring to life, growing into a bright dagger, I plunge into the battle.

I dispatch two slinking, black Kuri Demon's at once, dismembering a Spider Demon, three of its eight pincer-tipped arms twitching on the floor, poison-dripping from its eye sockets. I turn and jam a seraph blade into its gut, then duck as it sprays acid at me. I scramble for a chakram, launching it at a swooping Achaierai Demon, its pterodactyl like wide leathery wings shredding with a sound like tearing flesh. Its mouth gapes open, showing off its serrated shark teeth, then it falls ungracefully to the ground, pulling itself toward me with the sharp ridges of bones on its wings. I launch another chakram at it, and it burst apart, leaving a cloud of black smoke behind. I see Alec shooting at an Ahiab Demon, it's thick, lizard-like body gushing black ichor from where the arrows have pierced it. A thick line of serrated teeth run along its forehead where its eyes should be, and it has another mouth on the lower half of its face, bone coloured dripping tusks protruding awkwardly from its face.

I stumble to my feet, only to be knocked aside by a Raum demon, its tentacle whipping across my collar bone, leaving a gash seeping with black poison. Its tentacles are tipped with blood-red suckers, and a cluster of needle-sharp teeth glint from inside them. I launch my last seraph blade at it, but I barely scrape its dead white, scaly skin. It's fast, and more dangerous than a Ravener demon. I wince, my shoulder burning from the poison, but I pull my other kindjal out, gripping the blade with sweaty fingers. When a tentacle try's to pierce my skin, I cut it off in one, swift movement. The demon snarls, launching forward again, putting its full weight on me. I swallow a scream and drive the blade deep into its bulging toad-like eye. There's an almighty roar as the demon tosses its head back, its black blood pouring onto my skin. I take this opportunity to reach behind me, grab my bow, and load it and fire, right into its mouth. When it explodes into dust, I vault to my feet, looking around for more demons.

I can see the blonde one fighting a Scorpios Demon; it's long, barbed scorpion-like tail swinging at him, coming dangerously close. When the boy thrusts a seraph blade at the demon, it dodges, its agile hands groping at him, its broken needle like teeth clamping together loudly as it hisses. I run toward him, loading my bow, then letting the arrow fly, hitting the demon in the back. It turns its attention away from the blonde boy and fly's at me, its tail flipping towards my face. I barely duck, realising I have only one chakram and an arrow left to fight with. I throw the chakram at its tail, hoping to get rid of its main weapon. The chakram embeds itself three quarters of the way into the tail, slicing it almost off. The floor is slick with black demon ichor, and when I try to run, I fall, hitting my injured shoulder hard, letting out a whimper as I roll over onto my back, staring up at the now empty night sky. I struggle to my feet, and then look around for more danger.

"Get down!" I hear someone shout, and I don't have to be told twice. I dive onto the floor, just as the Scorpios demons injured tail swings through the air. The blonde boy leaps onto the demons back, slicking it down the middle before it can even make a sound. It disappears, leaving nothing but a pool of black liquid behind, and I exhale, knowing the battle is over. I get to my feet, wiping demon blood from my eyes and face before looking at the blonde boy. He is unharmed; there are no wounds or scratches to be found. He is drenched in ichor, dust and rubble, his hair matted with sweat, but he is unharmed. I look around for the other two, and see that Alec is helping his sister down from a shelf she was perched in and they are both unharmed too. I hear a gurgled cough and remember the mundane, who had been so helpless against the demon. I half run, half stumble toward where she lays, tangled in wires, boxes and blood.

I fall to my knees beside her quivering, twitching body, and pull her hair away from her neck, revealing deep claw marks that dripped with poison. Demon poison is lethal, and in hours, maybe even minutes, she would die. I dig into the pockets of my jacket, where the last two healing serums should have been. The 30 vials of demon poison curing serums had cured me my whole life, and I'd used all but two of them. My fingers brushed glass and I yanked them out, only to feel my heart plummet into my stomach. One of the vials had smashed, broken glass cutting into my hand. My shoulder ached painfully, but I pushed it aside, making my decision.

"What are you doing?" Alec's sister asked, but I ignored her, opening the vial and pulling out the almost invisible sliver needle. I put the pin head into the liquid, and then drew it out, the liquid transforming into a translucent thread. My fingers shock slightly as I sewed up her wounds carefully, wondering for the millionth time how a liquid could turn into a thread. It was a strange magic, but one that had saved my life multiple times. When the wound was sealed, I poured the rest of the liquid into her mouth, and watched as the black poison leaked from the wound, then the skin just... healed, like nothing had ever happened. I stood, accidentally jerking my shoulder too sharply. I sucked in a breath through clenched teeth, wincing as the poison burned in my veins. The blonde boy stepped forward curiously, and when he reached for the edge of my jacket, I batted his hand away. He grabbed my arms roughly, and I yelped as he pulled my jacket and top away from my skin, exposing the black gash on my shoulder.


	5. To save or not to save?

**Thankyou for all your comments and follows and favourites, it means so much! Hope you like this chapter!**

"Demon poison. Please tell me you have another one of those magic voodoo things." He asked, but I looked down, feeling blood rush to my cheeks. Shadowhunter's were put on this earth to protect Mundane's, and they come before us at all times. Shadowhunter's die all the time, and they die young, I'd accepted death freely all my life, now was no different. I felt my heart sink in my chest as I thought of my brothers and Ryan, they'd be upset. I'd miss them, if you can miss people when you're dead. Maybe I'd see my parents again, but what would I say? I'm sorry, but I haven't missed you all these years, haven't really thought about you at all, in fact, because really, you were just shadows I could never have. You were just people, strangers, really. Not parents, not even acquaintances, just people. In fact, I'm not sorry at all that I didn't miss you, I'm just glad you're not down there telling my real family how to live their lives. I'm just glad I can finally look you in the eyes and tell you what complete and utter idiots you are for hurting my brothers, what selfish monsters you are. I'm just glad I can finally say to you that you are worse than the demons I killed.

"Isabelle, grab the weapons. We have to get her to the institute. Now, Isabelle, now! Alec, contact Hodge. Make sure they are ready." The blond blonde was saying, his voice commanding. I stared up at him in confusion, his face blurring and shimmering like he was underwater. Somewhere, in a distant part of my brain, I knew the poison was taking over, and inevitably I was going to die. The room swayed dangerously, the ground suddenly moving unevenly. I was falling, my limbs turning into rubber, until the blonde one caught me.

Words were being shouted, his lips moving like a goldfishes, and from here, I could see a small star shaped scar on his shoulder. It shimmered like a real star, and as my hands linked around his throat, I touched it, tracing the points, and he looked down at me in confusion. I tried to say how pretty the star was, how pretty his hair was, how it moved on its own, like snakes, and how cool it was that his eyes changed colour from pink to blue to red. But I couldn't hear the words that came from my mouth. He smiled, his lips swirling, swelling to twice their size, his whole face going blue. Before my eyes could close, I heard him say

"Jace. My name is Jace."

Everything hurt; my limps were cold, pain shooting through my shoulder as I tried to move. My throat felt like sandpaper, glass piercing into my chest, even my eyes stung, like coals burning inside my eye sockets. Something jabbed into my arm, something cold and metallic, and through the burning haze clouding my head I thought, it's a needle. My brain felt as if it were sludge, sloshing like acid inside my skull, and I groaned, a word escaping my lips in a rasp that I hadn't intended to say. To my ears, it sounded like a shriek, but whoever was in the room with me shuffled, and I heard a door click shut. I tried to force my eyes open, but the effort made my head hurt more, so I lay still, trying to collect my thoughts.

I should be dead; I had demon poison in my veins. Why wasn't I dead? Had they saved me? The three Shadowhunter's? Why? Why had they saved me? Why would they do that? They didn't know me, so why would they save me? Questions clouded my thoughts, and I groaned again, the word escaping, still sounding like a shriek. What word was it? I felt as if I was disconnected from my body, just a thought, not a being, and that I couldn't control myself anymore. Because I wasn't myself, only part of me.

The door opened again, and there were loud footsteps, coming closer, until I could feel people around me, could hear murmured conversations. The feeling started to come back, leaking into my finger tips, and I wished I could go back into the state where I was detached. It was like I had been yanked into a world of fire and pain, plummeting through broken glass and pointed spears. I wanted to scream, wanted to thrash, but my body was frozen, and so was my voice, apart from that one word, which kept coming from my lips in little rasps and whispers.

"...keeps saying it...you should...I don't know! It was..." the shrill voice of a girl kept coming in broken sentences, the words bleeding together until they were just a buzz. There was silence for what felt like hours, it stretched and stretched until I felt like I was about to fall through the gap in the conversation. I started to gain feeling in my arms, and I could feel tubes or needles sticking into my skin just under my elbow.

"Isabelle...saved us...be nice...I'll stay..." this voice was soothing and calm, overconfident in a way that seemed obnoxious. I heard someone drag a chair loudly over the floor, settling into it beside my bed. There was pressure at the bottom of the bed, and I knew someone was sitting there. My whole body started to come to life, my ears popping, and I could hear soft and steady breathing beside me. I moved my fingers, testing to see if I could control myself, then moved my arm, bringing it up to touch the things in my other arm. I winced, startled to find that they weren't needle, but cool circular plates, made of a weird metal. I tried to pull at the metal, my nails digging under it urgently, and panic rising inside of me. Hands stopped me, pushing my arms down on the bed. The hands were big, with long, pianist fingers and calluses were dotted over them.

"Go and find Hodge. I'll stay." Isabelle ordered, and I wondered who she was talking to. I felt the boy hesitate beside me, then get up, walking swiftly out of the door. I waited, 10, maybe 20 seconds, and then opened my eyes, looking around the room. Beds were lined up on both sides of the room, and I sat up slowly, ignoring the pain in my shoulder, and looked at Isabelle. She was dressed in a dark dress, not at all like the one she wore last night. This one was formfitting and alluring, cut deliberately to suit her tall figure. She smiled coldly at me, sitting at the edge of my bed, one pale leg crossed over the other, stiletto heels laced up past her ankles. I looked up at the ceiling, decorated in beautiful coloured murals of what I imagined heaven to be like. Cherubs and angels flew overhead, and the images reminded me strangely of home, I felt suddenly safe and protected.

"Where... Where am I?" I asked, looking around, trying to identify the room I was in. We were completely alone, apart from one, and strange healing runes flashing in front of my eyes. There were only two people in the room, Isabelle and a little boy, whose hair was black, and he wore oversized glasses. He sat on the bed opposite me, staring at me like I was some sort of flying pig. I sat up, and then looked down at my arms, the metal circles still stuck in my flesh. I felt my heart race again as I touched the circles, feeling the heat drain away from my fingers. I looked up at Isabelle questioningly, confused, frightened and lost, not knowing where I was or what had happened to me. She flicked her hair, which was in a high, slick ponytail, then slid off the edge of the bed, sauntering over to the side table next to my bed. She pressed a button, and I felt a sharp sting as the metal discs pushed themselves out of my skin, landing neatly on the bed. I'd expected holes to be in my arms, or great gaping gashes, but there was no evidence of the circles at all.

"You're at the institute." It wasn't Isabelle who answered, it was a male voice, and it defiantly wasn't the little boy who had said it. I looked towards the door, where the blonde boy had silently come into the room. He wore almost identical clothes to the ones he wore last night. I cocked an eyebrow at him, wondering where the institute was. I remember my mother taking extended trips to an institute, but I had never been told anything about them. Isabelle sauntered over to the door, and I wondered if that was the only way she could walk. She hesitated by the blond boy, mouth open slightly as if contemplating whether to say something or not. She put her hand on his shoulder, and then left the room, the black haired little boy following close behind. I didn't want to be left alone with this boy, arrogance and over confidence is something I have never been able to tolerant, and this boy defiantly has both of them.


	6. Goldie locks

**Thank you for all the comments, follows and favourites, it means so much to me. any problems just comment below, I'm all ears. Hope you like :)**

"The institute?" I asked, swinging my leg over the edge of the bed to find them bare. I was wearing only a hospital type black gown and my underwear. Panic rose in me, my weapons were the only thing left of my father, and my jacket the only thing left of my mother. He rolled his eyes at the heavens, muttering something that I couldn't quite catch, and then he turned a mocking glance on me, his lip quirked up in an arrogant smile.

"You're not a proper Shadowhunter, are you? Well, not like me." he flashed me a cocky grin, and I fought the edge to groan in disgust. Other girls would have swooned over his charm, would have melted under those eyes, but I knew from experience that pretty things were usually dangerous. I got to my feet, surprised to find I was steady, then smoothed out the gown where it crinkled in inappropriate places. I gave him an exasperated look, looking around for my clothes, growing more agitated when I couldn't find them.

"You're arrogant, you know that?" I shot, giving up on my search for clothes. He grinned, amused he'd got a reaction from me, which only angered me further. The stone under my feet was too cold, and I moved my toes restlessly, wondering what day it was, and if I could get home without being stared at wearing this. Where was home from here, anyway? Was I in a different country? Everything was so confusing, this place, and these people! These damn Shadowhunter's, so arrogant, so sure of themselves. My mother had warned me about the Shadowhunter's under the Clave, about how snobbish and brutal they can be. I watch him warily, his eyes fixed on me, his smile unwavering.

"Yes, people tell me that often. Though, they tell me I'm handsome too." he replies, his voice as smooth as silk, his face as cocky as the rest of him. I look him up and down, pretending to examine him. I pretend to contemplate, even though it's obvious he's gorgeous. I would never admit this out loud; fuelling his arrogance would make him even more unbearable. Maybe I could get a cab home; it would be better than the tube or walking. Or better yet, I could get my brother to come and get me. My momentary epiphany was ruined when I remembered my phone had been in Ryan's pocket. Oh no, Ryan! He's probably worried sick! I calm myself down, Ryan knows that being a Shadowhunter means going away sometimes, and he'll be fine.

"I don't see it." I retort, heading toward the door. Blondie makes no attempt to block my path, but he does follow me as I walk blindly down a corridor, the walls gleaming a greyish cream colour, the stones giving off a cold breeze. I wrap my arms around my stomach, rubbing my arms absentmindedly as I continue to walk.

"You must be blind then." He shoots me a crooked smile, the echo of our footsteps booming eerily off the walls. Every wall looks the same, every door a plain dark oak wood, a worn brown colour that is defiantly not attractive. Would it kill someone to hang a poster or a picture frame? All I need is a mark, something to distinguish different halls, instead of just walking blindly through the place. Speaking of blindly, how could he call me blind, is he really that self-absorbed?

"Nope, I was born with perfect vision." this wasn't a lie, I did have perfect vision. I realised sooner or later that I was actually going to have to ask him for directions, but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction. He already thought I was an idiot, even if I did save all three of their lives last night. I'm not being big headed, but without me, the odds would have been against them. I'm still confused as to how we made it out of there alive. He laughed softly, and I looked up at him in confusion. He pushed his hair away from his forehead, looking at the halls around us, then stopping suddenly, facing me with a totally jaw-dropping smile. There was a chip in one of his teeth, and I smiled smugly, glad to find that this boy wasn't totally perfect. I will hold that chip against him for as long as I'm here, which hopefully, won't be much longer.

"Then there must be something blocking your vision. Maybe the fact that you're jealous of my beauty." he proposed, but I laughed the suggestion off, rolling my eyes at the wall. I'd been told I'm beautiful since I was 12. I had the type of skin that always looked slightly tanned, hair that was curly and blond, not white or dirty, but what people call perfect pure blonde. I had a figure most girls envied, and I'd been approached by scouts looking for Victoria secrets models. Enough said. I wasn't perfect, spots seemed to always make their way to my forehead and my nails never grow long. I touched my head, only to find a small butterfly bandage tapped across my temple. I could feel a gash half the size of my pinkie finger on my left temple, and wondered where I had got it from. I'd fallen a few times, but surely I would have noticed if I'd cut my head. Maybe not, in the heat of the fight, with the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

"Oh yes, your giant ego is blocking the view to your smug face." I smiled, but really I was seething. How could he just stand there, didn't he know I had a family to go to? A home to get back to? Or did he just assume I camped out in Pandemonium? He raised his eyebrows, mocking hurt as he touched his chest, as if feigning a fatal injury. I started to walk again, my eyes sharp as I looked for any sign of life behind the closed doors. I walked faster and faster, hearing murmuring down the hall. Maybe I could find someone more tolerable, but that wouldn't be hard, considering who I was comparing them to.

"Wow, slow down Goldie locks." he called after me, jogging down the hall until he reached me. I shot him an annoyed look, wondering if he could get any more annoying. He smiled, but this smile was neither mocking nor joking, it was a knowing smile, which was in some way worse. I resented the fact that he had used the nickname my father had given me when I was younger, when my hair was knee-length instead of reaching half way down my back. My father had even brought me a red cloak, and I'd worn it even though it had been too long, and I'd tripped on it numerous times. It had made my father happy, so I had been happy.

"Goldie locks? I think you're the only Goldie locks here." I spat, walking rather briskly down the hall until we reached a kitchen. Isabelle was leaning over a pot of something that smelt like garden soil and honey, pieces of hair straggling down her forehead, sticking to the sweat on her neck. I wrinkled my nose, looking for the little boy, who had smartly cleared out of the kitchen. Isabelle swung around and smiled at us, and I was surprised at the genuine kindness in her eyes as she beamed at me. She continued to stir the thing in the pot, frowning at it, adding bits and pieces as she went along.

"Well, Goldie locks, you know my name, and you were saying it enough in your sleep. I have nothing else to call you." He jerked off his jacket and draped it over the edge of a chair, the long white table set with four bowls and spoons. The seats were wooden and old, but looked comfortable anyway. Isabelle started to ladle food into the bowls, which turned out to be soup with weird lumps and herbs in. It looked disgusting, and I felt sort of sorry for the boys, who had to suffer her cooking. Did I know his name? He hadn't told me, had he? Wait, yes he had. I had been consumed by demon poison and completely out of it, but he had told me his name. Oh god, that's the word I was whispering in my sleep? Oh, no wonder he's being so cocky towards me, he probably thinks I'm obsessed with him.

"Jace, why is she still in a robe? Didn't you get her some clothes?" Isabelle poured soup into the bowl in front of Jace, who was turning his nose up, his arm thrown over the back of the chair next to him in a poised, relaxed position. He smiled up at Isabelle, who looked at him curiously before putting the pot back on the now cool stove. She went to sit in the seat where Jace's arm was draped, but he held up his hand, gesturing for her to wait. She batted his hand away lovingly, and I wondered if they were dating. They sure looked like it, but then again, that's the way I act with Ryan.

"Izzy, I was hoping you could lend Goldie locks some clothes. She can't exactly wear mine." he joked, but he wasn't exactly begging or pleading, he just seemed to be asking impassively. Isabelle rolled her eyes, and then started to walk, gesturing for me to follow her half-heartedly. I looked at Jace a final time, and then followed her, winding through corridors, losing myself in the walls and doors. Finally, she pushed open a door, and I wondered how she could tell which door was hers, they all looked the same.

**I'm so sorry about the chapter mix up, had it all noted down wrong.**


	7. Burned

**Thank you for all the support you have given me, I really appreciate it. I love all you guys so much!**

Her room was messy; clothes were strewn haphazardly on the floor in piles, as if everything she owned had just been picked up by hurricane winds, and then randomly dropped. Her vanity table was crowded by bottles, compacts and boxes, tubes of lipstick lined neatly in front of the big mirror. There was a door in the left corner, and I could see a sink through the crack, and assumed it was a bathroom. She frowned, hands on her hips, lips pursed in concentration as she looked through the piles, kicking things out of the way. Her face lit up, and she bent down, her hand plunging into a pile of mostly Jean skirts and shorts. She retrieved a pair of shorts almost identical to the ones I had worn yesterday, and chucked them at me. I caught them effortlessly, turning them over in my hands, inspecting the fabric and size. She was a slim girl, but the shorts were still a size too big.

"Help yourself to make up, tops and whatever else. Your holsters and weapons are with Hodge." she gestured vaguely to the corridor, probably to the location of whoever Hodge was. I felt slightly relieved about the fact that my father's weapons were safe, but my clothes were still missing. I looked through piles, picking up flimsy, filmy crop tops or long sleeved winter jumpers. I spotted an item of underwear hanging almost proudly over a lamp; the thin red material would be very visible through most of Isabelle's clothes. I raised my eyebrows at a discarded and lonely stiletto heel, and then continued my search. Isabelle struck me as the kind of girl, who was always flamboyant, and defiantly promiscuous, but people are that way for a reason, I remind myself.

"Thanks, Isabelle. Where are my clothes, anyway?" I asked, finally deciding on a tight black camisole top with flimsy straps and a plunging neckline. It was very flattering and stylish, and the material looked thin enough to show off her bright underwear. There was a knock at the door, and Isabelle dropped the green scarf she had been toying with to answer it. She didn't ask the person in, but gestured for me to get dressed, then stepped outside, closing the door quietly behind her. I shrugged my shoulders, choosing not to question what was going on, and peeled the gown off, folding it neatly and laying it on her bed. I looked at myself in the mirror, which was as wide as the table and almost touched the ceiling. I looked the same as I always did, purple bruises dotted across my ribs, a scraped knee, flat stomach, long legs and I had curves in all the right places, but something was different. I looked tired, un-rested, exhausted, I almost looked worn.

I shook my head, bending down to inspect a small cut on my ankle. I rubbed at the already healing skin, frowning at it as blood started to ooze from it slowly. I straightened up when I heard a creak from the corridor, realising the door wasn't quite shut. I ignored it, pulling my hair off of my face, shaking it out behind me, and then headed to the bathroom. There was a shower in the corner, and a toilet beside the sink, bottles of cream and soap lined up on the shelf above the sink. There was another mirror, this one a lot smaller, above the shelf, and there was a crack that spider-webbed across one corner of it. I pushed the plug into the sink, running cold water into the basin, tapping my fingers impatiently on the cool white surface, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I looked restless, my eyes were too bright, my skin too pale. I thrust my hands into the freezing water, splashing it over my face, hoping to wash away the exhaustion. Soon, I'd be home, and I'd never have to worry about this again. I could go back to being normal. Well, as normal as a Shadowhunter can be.

I used a variety of Isabelle's soaps to scrub away the remaining black demon ichor, and then headed back into her room, rubbing at my damp face with a towel. I looked at the door, which was still open a fraction, but I couldn't hear anyone talking. I pulled on the shorts and top, which weren't too big after all, then moved to her vanity table, sweeping aside the clothes on the chair, perching on the old, rickety stool cautiously. As I started to pull a brush through my hair, Isabelle came back into the room, walking briskly over to her bed.

"Jace burned them. Your clothes, I mean. Oh, don't look so pissed. They had demon poison on." she reasoned when she saw my mouth gape open in shock. How could he burn my clothes? How could he! I slammed the brush down, grabbing a pot of cream, and applying it to my face before standing up rather sharply, reaching for the pair of black converse, and yanking them on. I stormed out of the room, both angry and upset, Isabelle calling after me urgently.


	8. Little boy issues

**updating twice today because the last chapter was so short, hope you enjoy it!**

My eyes stung, but I bit back the tears. My mother's jacket... Burned. That was the only thing, the only thing, I had left of her, and now it's gone! I shouldered open a set of large double doors, and found myself in another corridor, a sofa on one wall, and an elevator at the end of it.

This must be the way out, I think to myself. I walk towards the couch, realising I was going to have to wait for someone to give me my weapons, then stop when I see the couch is already occupied. The little boy from the infirmity sits on the couch, reading a familiar comic. The comic is Manga, and one of my favourite to read. He looks up, his mouth gaping open when he looks at me. I smile at him, he reminds me of my brother Lucas at that age. He looks about seven, but if he's reading Manga, he has to be at least nine.

"You're the girl from the infirmity aren't you." he doesn't phrase it like a question, but more like a statement. I nod, and he smiles back at me, a wide, awestruck smile, as if he's just discovered a unicorn.

"You like Manga?" I ask, pointing at the comic. He nods his head vigorously, and I find his fascination endearing. I remember a place on 96th street that sells comics, called Forbidden Planet. I sure as hell needed fresh air, and it couldn't hurt to take him to Forbidden Planet, he is a Shadowhunter and he reminds me so much of Lucas.

"Clary taught me to read it yesterday." he says, and I silently respect whoever the Clary girl is. She must be another Shadowhunter here at the institute. As if just remembering something, he springs up out of his seat, grabs my arm, and starts to pull. I want to dig my heels in and protest but before I can do that, we are stopping. We didn't go far, just to the elevator. He presses the big, red button and then smiles up at me. I smile back, he's so adorable.

"What's your name?" I ask him

"Max Lightwood, you're wearing my sister's clothes. What's your name?" he asks, stepping into the elevator, which has glass on every wall apart from the doors, which are gold. The doors close, then we are going down. I realise I've told no one my name yet, and find it weird that no one has asked it, apart from Max. Maybe the others simply didn't care.

"My names Keira Longthorne. Where are we going?" I ask, but Max says nothing. I find comfort in the silence; it soothes a headache that's started to niggle at my temples. I try and think, to distract myself from the pain in my head, and it works. I find myself thinking about last night, thinking about Jace in particular. Why had he saved me, it didn't make sense. Shadowhunter's die all the time, and that's just how it is. Why would he bother wasting medicine on me? Then, instead of thinking of his motives, I just think about him. He's so beautiful, in a way that is so inhuman it's not hard to believe he is part angel. Yet, he's so arrogant and cocky, he makes me so angry.

"Keira, come on." I snap out of my thoughts as Max starts to tug me forward again. I recognise the place instantly. It's a church. Shadowhunter's keep weapons in churches for safe keeping, as Vampire's and demons can't enter churches. Candelabra glowed brightly at the end of the pews, and a fine layer of dust seemed to cover everything. He walks towards a pew, his footsteps silent on the church floor. I follow him, curiosity consuming me, and then we stop, facing a low wooden pew, covered with a white cloth. He brushes his fingers against the material, as I find the gesture oddly familiar, as one I've seen Ryan do often when he thinks I'm sleeping, stroking my arm or face tentatively. He plucks the sheet away and there, in the middle of the pew, like a beacon of lost hope, was my purse and my necklace, one that was given to me by Ryan when he first changed.

That was the first time I had known he wasn't just a dog. That my best friend was a werewolf, the one thing I had sworn to fight. I had looked at him, his beautiful brown eyes, and just though: there's nothing more amazing or beautiful than this boy. He'd been there though I hadn't known it, and when he'd asked me if I was scared, I'd said no. I wasn't scared of him, like any other five year old, I was just completely fascinated. He'd given me this necklace, a silver locket decorated with spiralling embellishments and beautiful flowery patterns, as a sort of promise. 'A love that never dies, rising from the darkness, into the heavens' the inscription was written in curling calligraphy on the inside of the locket. I'd found the words so transfixing, so inspiring that I hasn't question their meanings. I didn't even question it now.

I picked it up, holding it delicately between my fingers, and then looked at Max, his eyes fixed on mine. I replaced the necklace around my neck, and shoved the purse into my pockets. How had he managed to save them?

"Thank you." I say, incredibly grateful. He'd saved one of the most important things that belonged to me, and he didn't have any reason to do it. He'd just done it out of the kindness of his heart, and that confused me. My mother had said that all Shadowhunter's under the Clave were heartless, vindictive and spiteful, yet here was this boy, with huge round eyes and a dimpled smile, his innocence crushing me like a thousand ton weight. He smiles brightly; obviously glad I was so pleased.

"It's okay. Do you want to see Hodge now?" he asked, and I nod, wondering when I can get out of here. We ride the elevator again, and when the doors open, Jace is waiting, leaning against the wall. When he sees me, he pushes himself away from the wall, moving with a fluid grace. He eyes Max, and then gives me that crooked smile of his.

"Back from your hot date, are we Goldie locks?" he teased, and I saw Max look up in confusion, clearly not getting the very inappropriate joke. I smiled despite my disgust, twirling a lock of hair around my finger. He raises his eyebrows at me, watching my every movement. Max watches too, but more out of confusion than curiosity.

"Yes, jealous?" I joked back, raising my eyebrows as he laughs, looking down at Max, ruffling his hair cutely. Max frowns, then stalks off, taking his Manga comic with him. I stare after him, light laughter escaping my lips, and I catch Jace looking at me. I stop laughing, and smile, finding it easier than I thought I would. He smiles back, not crookedly, or sexily or mockingly, just generally caring, and it startles me.

He reaches forward, and I freeze, not knowing what to do. He seems to sense my tension, but his hand doesn't rest on my face, his fingers close around the necklace, turning it over, inspecting it. I look down at it, my eyes crossing, and he laughs softly, opening it. His eyes scan over the inscription, and his face goes blank. I frown, wondering what the sudden change in expression was for.

**yes, I know it's evil and max isn't actually in the first book, but let's get wild... haha. So any thing you want, any details or criticisms, I'm open to all suggestions xx**


	9. Past life

**extra long chapter for you guys. I just want to say how much I appreciate all your support. All the views and comments and favourites mean so much to me. Love you guys!**

"Who gave you this?" he asks, but there is no curiosity in his voice, his tone is mild, almost cold. I raise my hand; my fingers brushing his as I take it out of his hand and replace it under my top. I look into his eyes questioningly, but his stare is blank, unrevealing. Why is he even interested? Is it the quote? Is it some kind of Shadowhunter quote?

"Ryan." I say, receiving a blank gaze in return. "He's a friend." I elaborate, not thinking it important to explain much further. He nods, a mocking smile appearing on his face, and the hope I had had, thinking maybe he was turning out to be alright, vanished. I groaned, and he looked at me curiously, cocking an eyebrow.

"A friend... Does he know that?" Jace asked snidely, and I push past him, deliberately hitting his shoulder with mine. He overdramatically makes a noise of pain, and I can tell it's fake. I feel anger rise inside me, he had no right to judge Ryan without even knowing him. Then again, Ryan had been scared out of his mind when he'd seen Jace, which is kind of... weird. Maybe if I just asked him, he would tell me. This is Jace; I reason with myself, he's not going to give you a straight answer, hell just give you a snarky comment, a mocking, superior glance, and laugh at you.

"Yes." I say sharply, and Jace holds his hands up in a mocking surrender, that superior smirk still plastered across his face. I clench my fists, trying to cool my anger. I'll be home soon, I think, counting to ten in my head. I had never been patient with people, patience was reserved for combat. My temper wasn't easily calmed; everyone close to me knew that. Then again, Jace wasn't close to me, so how could he know? I argued with myself as I walked blindly down the halls once again, Jace at my heels, turning me in certain directions every once in awhile.

"He obviously doesn't feel that way. I don't even know the guy, and I can sense that. Obviously he wants you, not that I can see why. You're not a proper Shadowhunter." Jace retorted, and I turned around and slapped him as hard as I could, which, with me being a highly trained Shadowhunter, was hard. He looked at me in utter shock, a large red mark appearing on his cheek. Obviously he couldn't see the error in his words.

"Shut up, you insensitive, arrogant, conceited, vain Shadowhunter! You know nothing about how it works out there!" I gesture in the direction of Brooklyn, my temper blazing. "You think the world owes you a living because your part angel? You're wrong. No one cares about what you are, and just because you think you're better than me, doesn't give you the right to go around assuming stuff. I know I'm just the poor little runeless girl to you, but I almost died out there to save your ass! So just shut up!" I shouted, and then snapped my mouth shut, my eyes stinging with tears of frustration. Jace stares at me; his jaw locked, then pushed on the door we had stopped at. I looked into the room, and saw an elderly man and a red head staring at us, both of their mouths slightly open. I jerked away from Jace and into the library, descending down the steps that led to the main floor, Jace following a few steps behind me. I came to a stop in front of the pair, meeting her gobsmacked eyes coldly, and feeling too agitated to be civil.

"You must be Hodge." I say, and my voice is sharper than I intended it to be. The man nods, then gestures for me to take a seat. For a second, I stare after him as he makes his way around the large desk and sits in his big chair, then I take a seat, ignoring Jace as he sits on the arm of the seat. The redhead watches us, and I want to snap at her to look away, but I keep my mouth shut. Finally, the redhead settles into a chair nearby, her eyes trained on me, or maybe she's looking at Jace. That wouldn't surprise me, she probably liked him. I pity her.

"Well, that was quite a performance out there." Hodge says, and I feel my cheeks turn red in embarrassment. I can't believe he's talking about my explosion on Jace, what does that even have to do with anything?

"Without runes too. Demonstrating such skill, such power, without the Angels guidance, it's unheard of." Hodge continues, and I breathe a sigh of relief, realising he's talking about the demon attack. I smile, nodding awkwardly; I'd never been good at accepting compliments, especially not from Shadowhunter's. I expected Jace to come out with some witty remark about how he could have done it in his sleep, but he said nothing, he actually nodded in agreement.

"You see, Clary here, she hasn't got Runes, or had the traditional Shadowhunter upbringing, and neither have you. I'd like you to explain why you can dispatch demons, and she can't." So she's the Clary girl Max was talking about. I look her up and down; she doesn't look strong, or particularly agile. She stares back at me, and I notice her skin is completely free of marks, apart from one iratze on her arm. I turn back to Hodge, and I feel Jace move forward slightly, eager to hear the answer.

"Because she's normal." I answer simply, and Hodge seems taken aback, as he looks between me and Clary. It was true, she couldn't have been more normal. She had that mundane vibe to her. I hated using that word, it seemed so derogatory. Jace gave a small chuckle, and I rolled my eyes. I hadn't been trying to be funny, I'd been truthful. Hodge composed himself quickly, and then turned a serious gaze on me.

"Come now, explain." He said, and I threw my arms up in exasperation. I pointed to Clary, gesturing at her in all her normal ways.

"There's nothing to explain. She can't kill demons because she wasn't trained. I was trained by my parent, therefore I can kill demons." I explained slowly, as if to a child. Hodge nodded, taking in my appearance. Anyone who had known my mother said I looked just like her; I had nothing of my fathers, no characteristic or feature. Same blue eyes, same colour hair as my mother, mine was maybe a few shades lighter. Hodge seemed to be registering just that.

"Your parents, they are Casey and Jasper Longthorne?" he asks, and I nod, recoiling from my mother's name.

"They were." I corrected, and he raised his eyebrows questioningly. Clary stares at me curiously, as if she's trying to figure me out, and I feel exposed in Isabelle's tight clothing.

"Were?" Jace asked, and I realised that he had stood; he now leaned against Hodge's desk, staring at me while fiddling with a knife. My knife. I looked down into my lap, hiding my face behind my hair, and then looked back up, adamant I wasn't going to look weak in front of them.

"They were murdered. By Valentine. I was 8." I say, and Jace's eyes go from uninterested to pitying. I saw the same sorrow in Hodges eyes, and frowned. I didn't want their pity or their sorrow. Jace put down the knife and walked over to me, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry." It was Clary who said it, and I shook my head, looking away from Jace and at her. Why did she pretend like she cared, I'm sure she didn't, none of them probably did. Maybe Hodge did, but probably only because my mother screwed him. She was unfaithful, and that's the reason Valentine killed them. She had slept with him, and then left him. He'd come back for her though.

"Don't be, they never loved me anyway." I said spitefully, and Jace's hand leaves my shoulder, and when I look back up at him, he looks confused. Hodge taps on the desk with his pen, and then makes a shooing motion at a dumbfounded Clary, who scampers out of the library, shutting the door loudly behind her. I look after her in puzzlement, wondering why Hodge had dismissed her.

"Your parent, tell me about them please." He instructed, and I hesitated slightly. Did I really want them to know about my childhood, about the intimate details and problems I had. But Hodge knew something about them, and any information he had, I wanted.

"Well, my parents agree that before any of us were born, only one would be a Shadowhunter-" already there was an interruption. Jace made a confused noise, and looked at me, clearly puzzled.

"Why?" he asks, and I roll me eyes. I'd asked myself the same question for a long time, but I had never received an answer.

"No idea. Anyway, my brother was born, but my mom refused to let him become a Shadowhunter. Then I was born, and she decided I was going to be the Shadowhunter. Before you ask, I don't know why, okay? They trained me, from infancy. But you know, with training doesn't come love. When they took my brothers to the zoo, I was at home doing training exercises. I wasn't close with them. They always kept secrets; I heard them talk about a prophecy, about some sort of cause. So, I looked it up, I listened and read all sorts of books. Then I heard the name Valentine. I'd studied him enough." I paused, just to check that they were still following. Hodge sat with his brow furrowed in concentration, while Jace just stared at me, a blank expression on his face. I met his eyes briefly, and saw they were conflicted, as if warring with himself. I ignore it, and carry on.

"They were part of the circle. One night, my mom was screaming at my father, about how it was too late." I remember that night like it was yesterday:

The cold chill I felt as the door blew open, and I hid in the coat cupboard, peering through the gaps in the wood as I saw four men enter, three covered in Rune's, one as pale as paper, carrying heavy weapons. The one who was known as valentine smiled grimly as the other two seized my father, bringing him into the hall way, forcing him to his knees in front of Valentine.

'Give me the girl, Jasper.' He'd requested, and when my father had spat at his feet, he signalled for one of the men to do the dead. The taller of the two, Pangborn, laughed and pulled out a knife, slitting my father's throat. I'd shielded my face, biting down on my fist to stop myself from screaming.

I snapped back to reality, my eyes still fixed on Jace's, which were now worried.

"They killed my father, right in from of me. Then they grabbed my mother. They were looking for me." I trailed off, sucked back into my memory.

I'd watched as Valentine had caressed my mother's cheek in a very intimate way. Blood seeped under the door, and stained my shoes, but I was determined to stay hidden.

'The girl. Now.' Valentine had said, and my mother had pointed upstairs. Pangborn and Blackwell had stormed upstairs, while the other one, clearly a vampire, stayed by Valentines side. Valentine had smiled down at my mother, who had done nothing but stay silent, staring blankly into space.

'How selfish you have been, hiding her all these years. I bet she doesn't even know... We need her, she's a powerful girl. You should know that, you where there when I explained to you-' he was interrupted as the other Shadowhunter's came charging back down the stairs, empty handed.

'She's not there, boss.' One had said, and Valentine had cursed, looking to the heavens as if for support. He'd turned back to my mother and hit her across the face. The vampire had hissed as blood ran down my mother's face, and had leant forward to wipe it off, licking it from his fingers contently.

'Where is she!' he's shouted, hitting her again.

'I don't know. She was upstairs.' She'd begged, and Valentine had inhaled deeply, giving her a half-hearted smile.

'Okay, okay, I believe you. We'll find her. I must have her.' He'd growled, and then signalled to the vampire, who descended on my mother, biting her. He'd almost drained her when he picked her up and carried her out of the house.

"They took my mother. The next day, Ryan and I went to see Magnus Bane and he put a protection spell on the house, making sure only people who were invited in could come in." I finished, unclasping my numb fingers, wiggling them to try and get the feeling back in them. Hodge gave me a sad smile, and I smiled back, even though I didn't feel like smiling. Jace sat on the arm of the chair and to my astonishment, pulled me against his chest, his arms wrapping around me comfortingly. I was so shocked I could do nothing but hug him back, his hands on my back were soothing, and in a way I enjoyed it.

"And who is Ryan?" Hodge asked, and I stared at Hodge over Jace's shoulder. He watched us with a knowing glance, and there was a ting of sadness mixed within it that I couldn't place.

"Ryan is my best friend. He's been around since I was born. He's...umm...a werewolf." At that, Jace pulled back and stared at me, a mixture of repulsion and confusion clouding his feature. Again, just as I thought he was decent, he ruined it.

"Your best friend is a werewolf?" he exclaimed in disgust, and I felt like hitting him all over again. Hodge looked as shocked as Jace, but I didn't see what the big deal was. Ryan wasn't a demon; he was born a werewolf, like I was born a Shadowhunter. I pushed Jace away, not wanting him near me anymore. Hodge saw the action; a light flickered in his eyes, one I couldn't explain.

"Yes, and he's probably worried sick about me. So, if you don't mind, I want to go home." I said, rising from the chair, my joints clicking as I stretched out. Hodge nodded to Jace and he walked over to a piano, on top of it were my holsters and weapons. I joined him, and heard Hodge shuffle out of the room, probably to explain the situation to whoever else lived here. He handed me a holster, and I looked for somewhere I could change into them. Jace saw me looking and smiled charmingly, one I'd come to realise meant he was going to say something very inappropriate.

"You'll just have to change in front of me. Unless you're scared." Jace mocks in his superior tone, and I huff, yanking my top over my head. He stares at me as I fasten my holsters, sliding my weapons into them carefully. I try desperately to put the bow into the holster on my back, but usually Ryan does it. I grunt in frustration, looking at the bow in hatred. Why did it have to be so difficult?

"Here, I'll do it." Jace mumbles, turning me around and taking the bow. His fingers are cold on my skin and I shiver. He slides the bow, then the arrows into place, his hands lingering a little too long on my skin before he turns me back to him, his face blank, his lips slightly parted. I nod a silent thank you, and then pull on my top carefully, so that he wouldn't have to adjust the bow again. I look down at myself and sigh, you could see every outline of the weapons through this top, and without my boots or jacket, I still had two Kindjal's left over. I turned to Jace, who was suppressing a smile.

"What am I suppose to do? I can't go out like this." I gesture to the weapons, and he can't suppress his laughter anymore. He turns away momentarily, his laughter shaking his entire body. When he turns back, he's still grinning, but he's mostly under control.

"Take my jacket, you can put your Kindjal's in there." He gave me his jacket, and I slipped it on, surprised at how such a stiff material could be so flexible and warm. I slotted the knives into the pockets, and then zipped up the jacket, striking a pose for Jace. He winked, giving me thumbs up, and then we headed out of the library, walking into Alec and Isabelle.


	10. Train rides and bloody fights

**hope you like this chapter, thankyou for all the reviews i really appreciate it!**

Alec instantly looked to Jace, his face lighting up, but then his gaze drifted to me, and he saw I was wearing Jace's jacket. His eyes darken in jealously, and I realise he's gay. I smile at Alec, and some of the hostility melts away, and he smiles back.

"So, you ready to go home?" Isabelle asked, and I nodded, wanting to get home and see my brothers and Ryan as soon as possible. Alec pulled something out of his pocket, a black, square piece of technology with runes on the buttons. He switched it on, and it made a faint beep, before falling silent. A sensor, in case of demon presence. They were really taking that demons threat seriously. Jace guided me back to the elevators, Alec and Isabelle a step behind us, talking quietly. Max was on the sofa again, this time asleep. Isabelle ruffled his hair cutely, and he stirred, batting her hand away, grumbling slightly. Once we were out of the institute, I instantly recognised where we were. 103rd street. I stood, taking everything in. It was strangely cold, and I found myself wrapping Jace's jacket more firmly around me. The sun was high in the sky, shrouded in clouds, and I wondered what day it was. How long had I been out? 2, maybe 3 days?

"Are you going to show us the way, or are we going to stand here all day?" Alec's harsh voice cuts through my momentary lapse in concentration, and I jump slightly. Jace stands, arms folded across his chest, his eyebrows raised at me. I blush slightly, and then start walking. We walk for a while, then Alec protests when I turn away from the tube. I roll my eyes, and then we pile into the train car.

I sit apart from them, knees pulled up to my chest, gazing out of the window as we pass the Brooklyn Bridge, feeling cold and lonely. I could feel their gazes on me, but I hardly cared anymore, they could watch me all they liked. I leaned my head against my knees, watching the city pass me by. It's okay, I reassured myself as fear and worry twisted in my stomach, I'll be home soon, and I can forget it all. You'll never forget them, especially not him, the voice in my brain that always argued whispered, and I exhaled heavily, gripping my knees, hoping the pain would drown out that voice.

"What's with the sighing?" at the sound of Jace's voice I jerked up, smacking my head against the window. I winced, rubbing my head and looking at him through my hair. He stood, looking down at me questioningly. I looked around us, at the other people on the train, who all looked at me as they had heard the bang.

"Can they see you, or am I going to look like a nut job for talking to you?" I hissed and he laughed, drawing the attention of a bunch of school girls, two of which I knew. Well, that answered that then. Jace sat next to me, but I didn't move my feet. The girls I knew, Dianna and Kristy, both in my year, stared at me jealously, almost disgusted to see him with me. They were two of the more popular girls in school. Before I could answer his question, they had turned to me, focusing their cutting glances.

"Hey, slut, what happened to Ryan?" Dianna asked, and Jace's eyebrows went up in shock. I rolled my eyes, really not needing this today. They hated me because Ryan had rejected them; he was on the football team, though he had a bit of an unfair advantage. Most of the girls wanted him, which is why I got confused as to why he didn't have a girlfriend.

"You know them?" he asked, and I saw Alec and Isabelle looking at the girls curiously, wondering what was going on.

"Sadly." I whispered, and then raised my voice so they could hear me. "What happened at your STD check, I heard you tested positive." I shot back, and Dianna gave me the dirtiest look. She got around a lot; she never had a boyfriend for more than a few weeks, if that. Her nickname at school was the bed hopper, not that she was concerned by this. Jace looked at me, raising his eyebrows at me in surprise. I shrugged, I'm a Newyorker, insulting people is what I do.

"Go cry to mommy, loser. Oh yeah, you can't." Kristy said smugly, giving a malicious smirk, and the gang giggled stupidly. I clenched my fists, turning away from them, looking out at the city again, anger boiling in my veins. I felt tears prick at my eyes, and I tried to force them down. I wasn't going to cry in front of those girls, and I defiantly wasn't going to cry in front of Jace. They continued their string of insults, aiming them at my brothers and Ryan, until my insides twisted with anger and upset.

"Shut up, you Mu-Mindless idiots." I heard Isabelle shout, tripping over the word Mundane. I lifted my head and stared at Isabelle, her face cast in fury. The girls turned their glances at the now standing Isabelle, who was moving forward, Alec behind her. She stood next to me, her eyes blazing, and most of the girls seemed threatened. Not Kristy. She laughed, taking in Isabelle in her Shadowhunter gear.

"And who are you? Some gothic girl wonder wanna-be?" Kristy taunted, and Isabelle started to advance forward, but Alec stopped her, restraining his furious sister. Kristy laughed mockingly, and I decided I'd had enough. With Alec too busy restraining Isabelle, and Jace getting to his feet to help him, there was no one to stop me launching at Kristy, knocking her to the floor, delivering a harsh slap to her face. She screamed, and the scream brought everyone's attention to us, including Jace's. I slapped her again, all my inner fury pouring out of me. She rolled, pinning me to the floor, clawing at my face, pulling at my hair. I grabbed both sides of her head and smashed it into the seat, earning another scream from her. I could have easily beaten her, but showing my skill would lead to suspicion, so I let her punch me. I slapped her again, but then she did something unexpected. She knotted her fingers in my hair, hauled up my head, and then smashed it down, repeating the action several times. Before I could launch her off of me, she was gone.

I sat up, wiping blood from my nose before staring at Kristy as she struggled in Jace's grip. I smiled as I saw her face, scratch marks running down her cheeks, blood pouring from her nose, her hair messy. That had felt good, exceptionally good. Jace handed her to Alec, who walked her away awkwardly while Isabelle laughed mockingly at her. Jace held out his hand, his eyes laughing, and I took it. He hauled me up, and I ended up face to face with him, my nose almost touching his. I take a step back, giving him a mischievous smile, and he laughed, shaking his head at me. He reached forward and wiped blood from the corner of my mouth, where her punch had split the lip. I smiled gratefully at him, wiping my nose with the back of my hand. I made sure not to get blood on his jacket, then as the train stopped, pulled him toward the exit. We met Alec and Isabelle, who when she saw me, gave me a hug. I was surprised, but I hugged her back, because she had backed me up.

"You were so amazing. That girl totally deserved it." she exclaimed, and I smiled, pulling back out of her grip and staring at Alec over her shoulder, who had a scratch on his cheek. She'd scratched him! I pushed past Isabelle and went up to Alec, taking his face in my hands and turning it to the side so I could examine the scratch. He was taken aback, and he blushed a little.

"I can't believe she scratched you!" I whispered, and blood oozed from the cut. It was deeper than I'd first thought, and I cursed under my breath, brushing the blood away. His blush increased as he looked over my shoulder, probably at a giggling Isabelle and mocking Jace. He pulled out a Steele, and went to hand it to me, then hesitated, as if just realising I didn't have runes. I took the Steele, and he looked surprised. I may not have had runes, but I knew what they looked like, and I had an amazing talent for drawing.

I unzipped his jacket, pulled down his top and put the Steele to his skin. It jumped to life in my hands, and energy sizzled through my body. The healing rune spread in flowing, beautiful black lines, more fluid than charcoal or pastels. I was done all too soon, and I let go of his shirt, zipping his jacket up again. When I looked back up at him, his face was unbelievably red. I handed him his Steele, then turned back to Isabelle and Jace. Isabelle was staring in shock, not at me but at her brother, and that's when I remembered that he was gay. Or, at least, I assumed he was gay. I would have to confront Isabelle. Jace was looking at me with mild approval, and I knew he was probably surprised that I could draw runes.

I walked again, the familiar streets of Brooklyn feeling like home. Jace caught up to me, walking beside me, shortening his strides to match my pace. The streets were mainly quiet, a few people waved or called hello to me as I walked.

"You draw good runes." He complimented me, and I nodded, looking down the street. Usually, there was a van, a disgusting yellow beat up thing that belonged to a guy called Eric. He carted around his band instruments in it, now they were called Millennium Lint. I went to a few of their gigs with Ryan, they weren't that bad.

"Thanks, I've always been able to draw." I say, turning the corner on to my street. My house was at the far end, almost the last one. It was true; I'd always had a talent for drawing, ever since I was little.

"Could your parents draw?" he asks, and he seems genuinely curious.

"No, my mom was a singer though." I say, the words leaving my mouth before I can stop them. She'd been one of the best singers, in my opinion, and it was one of the things she had passed down to me. Seeming as Bach was a Shadowhunter; my mother had taught me the piece that exposed demons. After that, it had been clear I could sing.

"Can you sing?" he asked, and I wondered why it mattered to him. We were nearing my house, and there was another figure walking towards us.

"Here's my house." I replied instead of answering his question. He looked up at the windows, and something didn't seem right, the way he looked at the house. I was about to ask him what was wrong, when I recognised the figure heading towards us, his hands jammed deep into his jean pockets. I felt my heart rise into my throat, and then as the figure looked up, he spotted me.

"Ryan!" I exclaimed, running into his arms. He picked me up, spinning me around, and I squeezed him as tightly as I could. I buried my face into his shoulder, and then my stomach collided into his shoulder as he hauled me over his shoulder, laughing. I giggled; glad to be back in familiar arms.

"You're okay! God, do you know how worried I was about you? You've been gone for three days!" he set me back down on the floor, taking my face in his hands. So I had been out for three days. I wrapped my arms around his neck, smiling up at him as his face flooded with relief. He had grey bags under his eyes, and he looked worn. I felt guilt slam into me; obviously he'd been out looking for me. I felt his hands on my hips as he slipped my phone into my pocket, and I smiled gratefully at him.

"I know, I'm sorry, you had my phone." I replied, indicating to my pocket, and he pressed his forehead to mine, stroking my hair like he used to when I was younger, when I was afraid of the dark. I relaxed, almost forgetting about the Shadowhunter's behind us. Then, he pulled back, examining my face, his eyebrows rising questioningly.

"What happened to you?" he asked, turning my face, wiping blood from the corner of my mouth. I rolled my eyes, whining when he tried to clean me up. His brow furrowed as he seemed to register the people who had come with me, and he straightened up, his eyes going cold. I turned, and found Jace meeting Ryan's eyes steadily, a look of icy menace plastered over his face.

"Some girls were picking on her; she dealt with them pretty well." Alec answered, but it's like Ryan didn't hear. He stared daggers at Jace, who had that superior smirk of his ready and waiting. I looked back at Ryan curiously, and saw his jaw lock. I put my hand on his shoulder, shaking him slightly, until he looked down at me. I frowned at him, and then turned back to Jace, wiping blood impatiently from nose.

"I should have known it was you." Jace said, at that Ryan stiffened, his whole body going rigid. I looked between them, and finally Ryan's fear at Pandemonium and his hostility made sense.

"You two know each other?" I ask, unable to keep the shock out of my voice. Jace laughs mockingly, and Ryan just glares.

"Yes, he picked a fight with me once." Ryan said his voice taut. Jace gave a shrug as if to say 'what are you going to do about it?' and I was about to ask what over when I heard a scream. I spun towards the house, and in a second, I was flying up the porch steps and reaching for the door handle. When my skin made contact with the metal, it started to burn, the handle sizzling. I suck in a breath through my teeth, and pull my hand away, inspecting the scorched skin and blisters. I look down at the handle, noticing the delicately drawn runes. Jace was beside me, taking my hand in his, and he frowned. I pulled it free, stretching his jacket down over my hands, and then touching the handle again. I could feel the heat through the sleeve, and I wince, biting my lip, then when I hear the click of the lock, I jam my shoulder against it, the wood splintering around the bolt. My hand burns, but I throw myself against the door again, hoping to break the lock. Whoever was in there was hurting my brothers and I had to help them.

I throw myself at the door again, and unexpectedly, Jace kicks it. The door fly's open, and I ran, right into a wall of flesh. I looked up, and almost screamed. A tall, broad shouldered man with black lines burned deep into his face stared down at me, his eyes empty and black. He hauled up his right arm, and I saw the axe. I unzipped Jace's jacket and grabbed a seraph blade, calling its name before jamming it into the Forsaken's gut. Crimson blood poured over my arm, and I fought the repulsion that triggered my gag reflex. The Forsaken growled, flinging me across the room. I roll, then get to my feet, waiting for the next attack. I see Jace and the others flying around the room, a thick mist and stench leaking into the room.

The next Forsaken swings a mace at my face, and I duck, turning on my heels and slicing open its neck. I ran toward the stairs, hearing the scream again, and I'm on the third step when something grabs my leg. I cry out as I'm dragged down the stairs, my head making contact with the corner of the step. I lash out with my knife, blood pouring onto the floor. I kick the forsaken in the jaw, but he's persistent, his grip on my ankle too tight, the pain is blinding. I hear a yelp, and watch as Ryan, in wolf form, smashes into the banister.

"Ryan!" I cry, lashing out at the forsaken again. Jace turned at my cry, dispatched the forsaken he was fighting and jumped over the banister, landing beside me. He thrust his seraph blade into the Forsaken's chest, and then hauls me up, checking me over. I pull away from him and run up the stairs, there's a forsaken in front of my younger brother Lucas' room. This one is female, and she grabs me, pushing me towards the banister, the gap between the stairs and the wall large enough for me to fall through. She pinned me against the banister, hands to my neck, squeezing the breath from me. My back arches as she tries to throw me over the edge, and I stab her, grabbed her shoulders and throw her through the wood. It splintered, sending shards into her flesh as she falls; right onto the three Forsaken Jace was struggling to defeat. He looks up, but before he can say anything, I'm sprinting towards the door, grabbing the handle...

The door explodes, sending me flying backwards, over the edge of the broken banisters. A half broken banister cuts into my stomach, and I grab onto it, dangling in midair. Blood pours down my trousers from the cut, and I try to swing myself up, my feet finding no purchases on the slick ceiling and wall. I look into the room and see a black figure, swirling and tearing through the air. I try harder, swinging back and forward, my feet slipping, and I realise it's no use.

"Jace!" I cry, my fingers slipping on the blood. He looks up, and then he's in front of me, so incredibly fast I'm shocked. He grabs onto me, pulling me up, and I almost fall onto him. He holds me up, and my vision starts to blur. I push him away, stumbling forward into the room. I see the figure, towering over my brothers. Ethan shields Lucas, his jaw set, determination in his eyes, and I rush forward, despite the pain and the dizzying mist that runs through my body. I draw out my other seraph blade, crying its name before driving it into the black figure.

The figure shimmered, and then dispersed, splitting into 10 more clouds of black, all taking the shape of a human. Their eyes were pits in their skulls, their jaws wide and filled with rows of razor sharp teeth. Jace joined me, standing at my side, holding his weapon out in front of him. Ryan bounded into the room, his hackles raised, blood staining his muzzle. He growled at the figures, slinking forward, baring his teeth.

The first figure flew forward, and Ryan pounced, ripping into it, the sound of grinding stones filling the air. I was about to go and help Ryan, when a figure flew right into me, flinging me into Jace, the warmth drained from my body. Ice crept through my veins, and my teeth chattered, my whole body shaking uncontrollably. I felt Jace's hands on my skin, and they burned, too hot against my stony skin. I blinked the haze from my vision, and walked with leaden feet into the black mist. I slashed at the blackness as it tried to suffocate me, pushing down on my body, sucking the air out of my lungs. When I turned, I saw Ryan in human form, using a splintered piece of the door as a weapon, blood rushing from a gash on his head. Jace was shouting at me, his mouth moving, and I cocked my head, hearing no sound. My senses were dulled, and as sound started to leak back into my ears, I heard him faintly saying to duck.

Before I can take his advice, I'm slammed into the wall, a black demon pinning me against it. It hissed, its jaw snapping dangerously close to my neck. I try to push it away, but I'm weak, blood pooling at my feet, my vision going black around the edges. I can see Ryan, lying unconscious on the floor, and I want to go to his aid, I want to help him. Jace is fighting off many more demons, and when he sees me, my feet dangling a foot off the ground, clawing at the demons arm where it pins my neck to the wall, his face drains of colour.

"Casey..." the demon hisses, and I recoil from my real name. The demon snarled, a harsh cackle escaping its cracked throat.

"Your father wants you. Your destiny calls." It growls, and I'm confused.

"My father's dead..." I croak, my voice hoarse. The demon laughs, its claws digging into my flesh, and I whimper.

"Casey... You have no idea..." I drop my hands into the pocket of Jace's jacket, pull out a kindjal, and jam it into the demons gut. It shrieks, and then bursts apart. I fall to the ground, my body going limp, and when my head smacks the floor, my eyes slide closed, and I pass out.

* * *

**So what do you think of Keira/Casey's secret name? Just starting to get deeper into her story, so hope you enjoyed it.**


	11. Runes and revealing

**hope you like this chapter, thank you all for the support I really appreciate it.**

*Jace's POV*

I carried Keira out onto the front lawn, her body limp in my hands. I lay her down gently, pushing my fingers to her neck. Her pulse flitters weakly, but it's still a pulse. I feel relief wash over me, and her eyelids flutter, opening slowly. She winces, whimpering in pain, and as I raise my hands from the grass, they come away wet with blood.

"Jace... Where's Ryan?" she whispers, and I look to Isabelle, who drags an unconscious Ryan onto the grass, letting him drop like a sack of potatoes. Alec joins me, gripping my shoulder for support. I unzip her jacket. My jacket, I correct myself. A large stain of blood spreads from a tear in Isabelle's top and I feel fear creep up my spine.

"He's knocked out. Not in great shape." I say, and realise it was the wrong thing to say. She looks around, trying to sit, but I push her down softly, stroking her face, trying to calm her. She looked pained, and Alec pulled out his Steele, holding it out to me. I shook my head, pushing it away. She didn't have runes, and I knew that was for a reason. She would hate me; really hate me, if I marked her.

"Alec, go into her room, find one of those vile things." I ordered, and he didn't hesitate. He dashed up the porch steps and disappeared into the house. I ripped the top down the middle, exposing the extent of her injury. A deep, long gash ran from her waist band to the underside of her bra, pieces of wood stuck jaggedly from the skin.

"Did you just rip my top?" Isabelle exclaimed, and I rolled my eyes, removing her holsters. She smiles, her head turning to the side as she looks at Isabelle.

"Yes, he's in a rush to get my clothes off." she jokes, and Isabelle huffs, muttering something about how expensive the top was. Keira stopped smiling when I pulled a chip of wood from her skin, tossing her head to the side, biting down on her fist. I look away from her pained face, biting my lip, my chest aching with guilt. If I could have been there quicker, pulled her off of the banister faster, defeated those demons...

"Got it!" Alec called, running down the porch steps, chucking me the vial. I catch it effortlessly, undoing it and bringing out the needle. I started to pull it through her skin, and she whimpered. I frowned, the mundane hadn't felt a thing, but I carried on sewing, wincing every time she cried.

"Jace, please... please stop..." she begged, and then she passed out. I swallowed my guilt, and then poured the rest of the liquid into her mouth, forcing her to swallow. I leaned back on my heels, staring over at Ryan while he sat up, shaking his head. I looked down at the wound, expecting it to have healed, instead, the glittery silver threads turned to water, running down her blood splattered skin. I looked at Alec in shock, but he looks just as perplexed as I feel. I turn to Ryan, who still looks dazed.

"Why isn't this working?" I shout, chucking the vial at him. He catches it, examining it, before chucking it back. Alec kneels down next to Keira, blocking Ryan's view.

"It's the watered down version she used on me, it doesn't work on her." He said, then he saw Keira lying motionless on the ground, and his face paled. He tried to get up, and I gestured for Isabelle to hold him down. She sat on him, pinning his arms against the ground. Alec drew out his Steele again, but I batted his hand away, I didn't want to have to do this to her. He looked at me, frustration and desperation in his eyes.

"We have no choice!" he exclaimed, and I knew he was right. I looked at her face, just for a second, taking in her almost peaceful expression. She may not have liked me before, but she hadn't exactly hated me. Now, she was going to. I take the Steele, put it to her hip, and start to draw the healing rune. I felt self-loathing rise inside me as her skin burned. I couldn't help but feel like I was corrupting her, but the black looked stunning against her skin. I tore my eyes away, pulling the Steele from her skin and handing it to Alec. The mark started to heal, and I picked her up, draping her arms around my neck.

"Alec, can you glamour us please." I could hear Ryan objecting, but Alec does it anyway, ignoring Ryan. When Ryan finally got free of Isabelle's grip, he stormed up to me, furious. He looked at her, then at me, and growled, partly transforming into a wolf. Alec put himself between me and the wolf, staring daggers at him.

"We need to get her back to the institute, Lycanthrope. We're helping her." Alec reasoned, and Ryan backed down, moving out of our way. Isabelle joined us, and Ryan hung back, a step behind us. We headed back towards the institute, and I couldn't help but feel slightly heroic, carrying her through the streets.

*Keira's POV*

I woke suddenly, surprised to find I'm not in pain. After the fight, I'd expected to wake up to pain and suffering, but I felt... Fine. I recognised Isabelle's room, the big mirror, the piles of clothes and the pink and black walls. I stood, steady on my feet, and then looked down at my clothes. They were stained with blood, torn in places, and when I undid the jacket, I found I was topless. I looked into the mirror, and saw something black, peeking out from under my waist band. I frowned in confusion, pulling the waist band down and inspecting the mark. When I realised what it was, my throat tightened. Tears spilled down my cheeks, and I rubbed at it vigorously, crying harder when it didn't come off.

"No. No, no!" I exclaimed through sobs, crumbling to a pile on the floor, sobbing into my hands. My parents had always taught me that Runes destroyed you, that if they hadn't of got marked; they wouldn't have joined the circle. I believed them; the Shadowhunter's who had taken my parents had been marked. I cried, pulling out my phone and dialling Ryan's number.

*Isabelle's POV*

I sat with Jace, Alec, Simon and Ryan in silence, twisting and adjusting my whip. I had ordered food from Taki's, but the cartoons laid practically untouched. Jace had pretty much sat looking down at the table, twiddling his thumbs and looking lost. He'd never looked lost here before. Church had curled up on Jace's lap, but he didn't seem to notice. Suddenly, there was a harsh ringing which pierced the silence, making me jump. Ryan fished his phone out of his pocket, and pressed it to his ear.

"Hello?" he asked, looking at the table in confusion.

"Keira, Keira calm down." I looked at Jace, whose head shot up at the mention of her name. He didn't stare at Ryan, but more at the phone, as if he could see Keira. I felt very protective over him at that moment, he seemed oddly vulnerable.

"Keira, it's okay. Where are you?" he asked, and Jace got to his feet.

"In Isabelle's room. Alec, can you show him?" Jace asked, and his voice was crackly. Ryan stood, about to follow Alec when he stopped, turning back around to look at Jace in surprise.

"Okay yeah, you can talk to him." Ryan said, and then pressed a button, giving the phone to Jace. He'd obviously put it on loud speaker, I could hear her sobbing, sniffling as she tried to control her breathing. I saw Jace's face twist in pain.

"Keira..." he started, but she silenced him as she sobbed.

"I don't know what to do." She sniffed, and I looked down at the whip, unravelling it from my arm and laying it on the table. Jace sat down hard on the chair, his knuckles white as he gripped the phone.

"I'm sorry, I had to do it." he blurted almost instantly, and Simon tapped his fingers against the table top. I cast him a glance, and could see he was surprised to see Jace apologising. Of course, Simon was probably surprised Jace was capable of emotions, especially guilt.

"I never wanted one, my parents...they said that being marked destroys you-"she broke off abruptly, and I saw Jace's face drain of its colour. He thought she was saying he had been destroyed. I knew that's not what she meant, how could it be? Jace saved her life.

"Jace, I didn't mean it like that. It was the one thing, the one thing that separated me from them." She sobbed, and then she stopped talking, sobbing loudly, and Jace's face fell into despair. There was a bang from her end of the phone, and she exhaled heavily.

"Ryan!" she exclaimed, and there was another bang, obviously her dropping the phone, and alot of murmuring. They were probably hugging, she was probably crying into his shoulder. Jace lowered the phone and clicked it off, laying it on the table. He stood rigidly and left the room, not giving me a reason. I sat still for all of two second, then picked up Ryan's phone, turning it on. No pass code. I looked straight onto his miss calls list, all of them from 'Baby'

Did he have a girlfriend? I clicked on the contact, and was surprised to find the picture was of Keira. He called her baby on his phone? I looked through his other picture, all of which were of Keira. Her reading, drawing, running, on the beach, at school. Funny pictures, cute pictures, even sad pictures. Simon looked over my shoulder, raising his eyebrows at the phone.

"Are they dating?" he asked, and I shrugged, flipping to a video. I pressed play. Keira lay in bed, asleep, and the camera turned to Ryan, smiling and laughing slightly. He turned the camera back to Keira, and she looked peaceful, sleeping curled up in her blankets.

"Casey, Casey wake up. You know what day it is right?" he teased, shaking her shoulder, and she smiled, pulling the covers around her, opening her eyes sleepily. She pushed away his hand, still half asleep, and I couldn't help but notice how happy she was.

"Happy 17th birthday Casey. Come on." He laughed as she sat up, pushing her hair out of her eyes. She gave him a pointed look, then he has hugging her.

"Whose Casey?" Simon asked, but I shushed him, watching her pull away and smile, giggling. He handed her a box, and she looked at him in surprise, opening the lid.

"Open the card last." Ryan said, and she peeled back the tissue paper, gasping. She looked at Ryan in surprise, pulling out one of the most beautiful white dresses I've ever seen. She covered her mouth to muffle the squealing, reaching forward to hug him. He pushed her away, pointing to the card, backing up slightly, placing the camera on a shelf, so you could see them both. She opened the card and screamed. In her hand were two tickets to Paris. She jumped out of her bed, wearing blue plaid pyjamas, throwing her arms around Ryan. Two others, both with brown hair, walked into the room, and I could hear her laughing, one of the boys, the younger one, grabbed the phone.

"Casey, how's your birthday going?" he said into the camera, pointing it at her hair covered face. She shook her head, and her shoulders moved as she laughed. Or cried. I couldn't tell. The boy, probably her brother, laughed, zooming out to show her and Ryan. I instantly saw the love in his eyes, either romantic or platonic, as he stroked her hair, smiling, laughing.

"Oh god, are you kidding?" she whispered, and both her brothers laughed, and Ryan's hands rested on her back, pulling her into him. They all looked happy, happier than she had been with Jace. Yet Jace had been so upset over her, over the way she had reacted to seeing Ryan. He'd made a witty comment about keeping it in the family, then glared at them.

"I'm not kidding, we're going to Paris." Ryan reassured her, and she shook her head again. I didn't understand the circumstances, why going to Paris was so important, but then again, maybe it was important, to her at least. So they were going, the two of them, to the most romantic city on the planet? Was it his present or hers?

"Ryan, I can't believe... You... I love you." she stuttered, and he seemed a little taken aback. I held my breath, not really sure why, then felt Simon laugh at me. I smacked him, keeping my eyes on the screen.

"I love you too, Casey." The video ended. I skipped through other photos of them in Paris, mostly of her. She stands next to Ryan, wearing that dress, her hair littered with confetti, Ryan in a suit, obviously taken by some tourist for them. She stood on the top of the Eiffel tower, pointing at something in the distance. She looked beautiful, I had to admit it. There was one of her in a boat, tea lights floating on the surface of the river, her hand scooping into the water, picking up a light. It was an incredible photo, the stars, the lighting, her hair falling around her in a mass of curls, the angle, and I heard Simon gasp behind me. She really did look like an angel.

There was only one more video, it was a different format, and there was a logo at the bottom. Obviously it had been filmed by some company, and Ryan had downloaded it. They were dancing, close together, his hands on her hips, hers wrapped around his shoulders. She threw her head back laughing, and his face lit up. He spun her out, and they laughed, it was obvious why the photographer had chosen to film them. Everyone else in the room seemed plain compared to them, and I felt slightly jealous towards her. How she could show her skin without the looks and the judging that came with Runes. She buried her face into his shoulder, and he dropped his face into her neck. I watched as her fingers wound into his hair. The video finished, maybe they wanted to keep it child friendly.

"So, Casey? Not Keira." Simon stated, and I turned to him. I knew there was something more to the situation than we knew, that she hadn't told us her real name for a reason. Even Ryan had called her Keira earlier. Something had happened, something to do with that name.

"Do not tell anyone, okay? Especially not Jace." I ordered, and Simon nodded furiously. I'd have to confront her later.

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**so what did you think of the different pov switches? I'm probably going to do more of them, just to vary how the story goes. So Keira finally got runes, opinions? xx**


	12. Flying and play fighting

**I say this every time, but I really do appreciate all you support. Your follows, favourites, views and reviews mean so much to mean. Enjoy!**

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*Keira's POV*

I sat in the circle of Ryan's arms, my eyes finally dry, my cheek pressed to his neck. He rubbed my arms, his lips pressed to my temple, and I could feel his pulse, rhythmic and calming. I felt bad already, for saying all that to Jace, I had been upset, I hadn't been thinking. I'd been selfish, he'd saved my life, and all I'd done was whine, blaming him, crying to him. I felt guilt crush into me, and my fingers tightened on Ryan's skin.

"Wow, what did my arm do to you?" he joked, and I released him, seeing the blood from my nail marks. I rubbed the spot as it healed, leaning my head on his shoulder, my lips pressed to the mark as it disappeared. I closed my eyes for just a second, feeling like I was at home, then I pulled away, stretching. I avoided the mirror, searching through Isabelle's piles of clothes until I found a rare pair of black, skin tight jeans and a blue batwing top. I pulled on the top, shucking off my shorts, and then pulled on the jeans, grabbing a pair of slip on shoes.

"I'm going back to the house, do you want anything?" Ryan asked, pulling on his jacket, tying up his old trainers. I thought for a second or two, what did I need? Clothes, maybe, a pair of shoes, underwear... No, only essentials. I could borrow Isabelle's clothes.

"A pair of jeans, my sketch pad... Pencils? I mean... I don't know." I reply, and Ryan laughed, taking my face in his hand, his thumb on my chin, and I smiled. I hadn't drawn in a long time, and I wanted the normalcy and comfort that came with it. Ryan brushed a curl from my face, and I wrinkled my nose at him, messing his hair up. He ruffled my hair, and I pulled away, straightening it out as best as I could.

"How did I know you'd want that? Okay, I'll see you soon." He said, walking towards the door. I watched him go, wondering how the house would look, if it was a mess, if people had started to ask questions. He turned at the door, looking back at me, his face serious.

"Casey, Shadowhunter's ruined our lives. Remember that." He said, and then he left, closing the door.

I walked aimlessly, listening to the silence of the Institute. I'd seen a cat; it had rubbed past me, then turned, heading in another direction. I'd followed it, walking a step or two behind, until it had slipped through a door. I had waited, considering my options, then walked through the door. The room was wide, with tall ceilings that stretched for two stories. Beams of different heights littered room, and on the tallest, a figure was somersaulting back and forth, grunting with frustration when they didn't land properly, or didn't do it to their satisfaction.

The figure landed softly, soundlessly, then flicked their hair away from their forehead, and I realised it was Jace. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve, then looked down, his eyes sharp and angry. He looked furious, and the anger shocked me. His face smoothed over, and he moved to the edge of the beam, straightened his arms and jumped, falling gracefully to the ground, flipping midair. I walk forward, meeting him by the beam as he pulls down the white sleeve of his shirt.

"That was cool. Jumping up there." I jerked my thumb towards the beam, and he nodded, as if not really listening. I guess he's still pissed off. Not that I could blame him, I'd be pissed off too. I rocked back onto my heels, looking at the beam. It was alot higher than the one I had at home, and it looked thinner too.

"Do you want to try?" he asked, his voice emotionless, and I nod, making my way over to the ladder. I put my foot in the rung, but he stopped me, his hand on my shoulder. I turned to face him curiously, and he pointed to a belt on a wire, obviously for safety. He pulled on it, undoing the buckle, then he gently fastened it around my waist, pulling the adjuster tight. It was a flimsy piece of equipment, and probably would be no use at all, but I accepted it anyway, the pain and embarrassment of falling not worth the risk. I nodded a thank you, then at the last minute, discarded the shoes, knowing how impossible it would be to work in them. Then, I started to climb the ladder. I'd never been afraid of heights, but as I felt Jace's fingers graze my ankle as he too climbed, I felt butterflies twist in my stomach. I reached the top, moving along the beam to allow him some room. When we both stood, staring at each other, it felt as if we were miles away, in a completely different universe. The world seemed to fade out, disappearing into non-existence, his eyes becoming the centre of my world. In a split second, the world was back, and I blinked, trying to clear my head.

I'd studied acrobatics, flexibility, even ballet, it helped me fight. Before I had been clumsy, but ballet had increased my balance and grace, to the level of a trained Shadowhunter. He gestured to the beam, signalling for me to start, so I leant back into a back walkover, back arching, stopped in handstand, then flipped over, hands braced on the beam as I straddled it, legs hanging over the edge. He looked impressed as I pushed myself up, giving him a smirk. He flipped over effortlessly, feet planted on the beam, so fast I almost missed it. I blinked, I'd never seen anyone so fast.

"You're good, for a home grown Shadowhunter. But would you jump?" he cocked an eyebrow, looking over the edge of the beam. I frowned at the name home grown, but I eyed the floor, itching to jump. I wanted to accept his challenge, but I'd never jumped using a cord before, I didn't know what to expect. He smiled smugly, crossing his arms judgementally over his chest, and I huffed, turning so that my toes hung off the edge of the beam. Without hesitation, I jumped, air rushing around me, and I flipped over, ignoring the floor as it rushed to meet me. I bent my knees, and when my feet hit the ground, I pushed myself off, soaring towards the beam again. Finally, I felt as if I were part angel, flying through the air, wind in my clothes, adrenaline soaring through my veins. I looked down, my feet almost colliding with Jace's forehead, and grinned as he grabbed my ankle, guiding me so I landed perfectly on the beam.

"That was awesome!" I exclaimed, my muscles twitching with energy, my pulse racing. He grinned back, and I felt myself blush. His smile was... indescribable. It was beautiful when he was smirking or mocking, but as he grinned in happiness and adrenaline, it made him look even more startling.

"Yeah, it is." Jace agreed, walking down the beam, until he was face to face with me. He placed his hands on my shoulders, turning me so that we were standing together, bodies pressed against each others as he edged past me. There was a moment I thought he was going to fall, and I grabbed him, pulling him against me, almost throwing myself off balance. He made it the rest of the way past me, then grabbed onto my arms as I started to fall. Our noses bumped, and I looked up into his eyes, lost in the gold. His pupils widened, consuming the gold, almost until his eyes looked black, and his lips parted. My breath hitched, and I stepped back, clearing my throat nervously. He turned his back on me, walked to the very end of the beam, and then simply just stepped off. I ran to the edge, preparing to see the worst, my heart contracting in my chest... to find him standing completely fine at the bottom, smirking at me, twirling a knife in his right hand. I exhale a breathy laugh, relaxing, shaking my head at him.

"You... scared me." I stuttered, brushing my hair off of my face. He laughed, giving me a sceptical look.

"You fight demons all day, and I scared you?" he asked, incredulous. I regretted saying it, it was a stupid thing to say.

"Yes, I thought you'd be, you know, a pancake." I said, and he burst out laughing. I blushed, could I say anything worse right now? I was about to die of embarrassment when he stopped laughing, looking up at me with a wide grin.

"A pancake? What does that mean?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter." I reply. He nodded, then gestured for me to jump. Again, I felt no hesitation, I jumped, tumbling gracefully through the air, then as the cord stretched, something flew towards me, distracting me momentarily. I heard a snap, and then I really was falling. I plummeted to the earth, too stunned to scream. Jace held up his arms, and I crashed into him, knocking him to the ground. I cursed, wincing a little, before taking in what had happened. Jace had threw the knife, cutting the cord, and now he lay beneath me, those dark eyes making a second appearance. My knees locked around his stomach, and he gave me a wry smile, hands on my waist.

"That was stupid, now I have the upper hand." I gloat, hands braced against his shoulders. He raised his eyebrows as if to say 'Oh do you now?' then he rolled, cushioning the blow as my back hit the ground, and he pinned me down like I had. I was speechless, completely surprised as he leaned down, his lips grazing my ear.

"Well, now I have the upper hand. What are you going to do about that?" he challenged, but he didn't pull away. In this position, it made it almost impossible to roll him off me, his weight pressed into mine, his thighs pressing against my hips. I felt his laughter vibrate through my body, and bit my lip. His lips were right there, by my ear. So close... surely, that would surprise him enough to get free? Maybe...

"If you say so. Maybe I'll do nothing, and you'll get bored of sitting on me." I tried the simplest form of trickery, the bluff.

"Oh, I don't give up easy. I have ways of making you react." He whispered, and a shiver ran up my spin, the hairs on the back of my neck rising. I feel his knees soften around me, maybe it was just enough to... All thoughts scattered from my brain as I felt his lips, warm and foreign, just below my earlobe. My hands found his shoulders again as he smiled against my skin, moving them further down my neck. My fingers tightened in the material, I almost cried out in shock and pleasure when I felt his teeth graze where my pulse beat, then I threw him, as hard as I could, off of me. I vault to my feet, standing over him as he looks at me, completely dumbfounded. Of course he's surprised you didn't want him, he was just using you like he uses all the other girls.

"Isn't it some kind of rule for you Shadowhunter's? Never get distracted? Well, you certainly didn't follow it." I smiled, then turned away, heading out of the door, trying to hide the fact that all I wanted was to lie back down, and do it all over again.

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**so how do you feel about Kiera and Jace's little work out session? The play fighting just had to be done. Opinions on their relationship? Also, how do you feel about Jace's teasing being thrown back at him? Love you guys! xx**


	13. Silence is the key

**thirteenth chapter guys. I never thought I'd get this far, let alone have the response I have gotten. It's just... I don't know really, thirteen seems like such a big number. Hope you enjoy :)**

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*Jace's POV*

I stared after her, my heart beating hard in my chest. What just happened? I fell backwards with a loud bump, spreading my arms and legs out wide, staring at the ceiling in wonder. What just happened?

One minute, we're on the beam, it's cool, I'm showing off, she's showing off. Then, she's jumping, I'm throwing the knife purely on impulse, and I'm on top of her biting her neck? That's not me. Even for me, knowing her this long, without her even giving me one signal that she wants me, I would never even think about it. But she'd been there, looking so...Hot...completely helpless and so confident anyway. I sighed, closing my eyes, remembering the feel of her skin under my lips, the way her body felt against mine. Soft but strong...

I sat up sharply, trying to control my thoughts. Come on, snap out of it. I got to my feet, remembering today was the day that Clary had to go to the Silent city, we would be meeting a brother in the graveyard soon. I made my way out of the Training room and went in search of Clary, only to find Keira on the way looking lost. When she saw me, she looked away, dropping her hand from her neck swiftly.

"You know, girls don't usually run away from me." I said, as always, sarcasm and wit my back up plan. She rolled her eyes, taking a few steps back before meeting my eyes.

"Yeah, I'm sure." She retaliated sarcastically, eyeing me carefully, as if anticipating another attack.

"Clary and I are going to the Silent City, do you want to come?" I asked, sounding uninterested. She seemed to think about it for a few seconds, then nodded.

"Sure." I flashed her a smile, then walked, hearing her almost silent footstep padding after me. I had expected us to walk in silence, and that was fine by me, I didn't need her to ask questions or lecture me. But, of course, it wasn't going to be silent.

"Jace?" she said after awhile, and I rolled my eyes at the floor. The tone of her voice was a little timid, almost hesitant, and I felt the hesitance start to quell the rage that had been tearing through my body. I slowed so she was beside me, and was surprised at her appearance. She looked worn, black smudges under her eyes, her whole body cried out depression. I was stunned, only seconds before she had been fine, in the training room she'd been more than fine. But had all that been a distraction?

"What?" I asked, my voice coming off more sharply than I had intended, and she flinched, biting her lip as it quivered. Her eyes were gleaming, and I realised with a jolt that she was crying. Silently, tears slipped down her cheeks, and she rubbed them away furiously. Despite the fact that I had vowed to be distant, had thought leaving her alone and ignoring her would be best, I couldn't help feeling bad about this. I felt something odd taking hold of me, a weird, sick feeling that started in my stomach and spread to my chest in cold, gripping waves. I had felt it before, much smaller, when I saw Alec or Izzy in danger or hurt. This was different. She didn't answer for a long time, and I wondered if I should try to say something comforting, then thought better of it. After all, what could anything I have to say help her?

"Do you... Do you think their okay?" she whispered, so quietly I barely hear her. I look at her, hiding her face from me, eyes only slightly visible as she stares at the floor, fingers clenched together painfully. She looked so lost, alone, like nothing was ever going to be right again. I bite my lip, the feeling so painfully I considered a healing rune. I didn't know how to answer her question without hurting her. I never told lies. I told terrible truths defiantly, but never lies. When I'd saved Keira, her brothers had been missing, and I knew that the demons had taken them. There had been nothing I could have done. I hadn't really cared if I was honest, just the sight of Keira in a pool of blood, getting paler by the second, had scared the life out of me.

"I don't know. Maybe. Though I should think Valentine took them, to get back at you. Seems quite logical." I said offhandedly, and then regretted it. She sucked in a breath, and I looked at her, realising she had stopped. She braced herself against the wall, her knees looking as if they were about to give out. She looked as if she'd had her heart ripped out, her mouth open in shock, her brow creased, one of her arms wrapped tightly around her stomach. I realised too late that logic and facts weren't exactly the best way to break it to her. She stood completely still, staring at the floor as if it was the reason for all her unhappiness. She seemed unbreakable, unwavering, cold and empty. Then, she just crumbled to the floor.

I was by her instantly, my hands on her shoulders, trying to get her up. My mind was racing with possibilities, had she passed out? Her shoulders shook under my hands, and I wondered if she was having some sort of fit. What should I do, Rune her? Oh yeah, because that went so well before. She sobbed, and I patted her shoulders awkwardly, not really knowing what to do. She'd lost the last family she had, I could understand, relate even. But I couldn't help. She stopped crying abruptly, and stood, ridged and stiff.

"Okay, let's go and find Clary." Her voice was flat, emotionless, and I stared at her in confusion. What was happening? She was happy, then she was crying, and now she's depressed? Talk about an emotional rollercoaster. I walked swiftly to Clary's room, where Simon and her were sitting together, laughing and talking about some magazine. When Simon looked up, his eyes went wide, his lips parting. He looked at Keira like she was the most beautiful, unreal thing he'd ever seen, which she probably was. Clary took in Simons face, then followed his eyes. Her face fell, and I saw a hint jealously in her eyes.

"Are you ready?" I asked, and Clary nodded, pulling on her shoes and standing up. Keira met Simon's eyes and smiled, Simon's cheeks turning red from embarrassment. He smiles back, and he opens his mouth to say something, but I grab Keira's arm angrily and pull her out of the room. She pushes me away, straightening her hair before walking next to Clary. I rolled my eyes, this was not going to be fun.

*Keira's POV*

We waited in the graveyard, and I regretted leaving Jace's jacket behind. I rubbed my arms, shivering against the wind, as Clary talked to Jace, asking if every person that walked through the graves was the Silent Brother. I huffed, bored of the childlike 'are we there yet' type of voice Clary was using. She was infuriating, and I wanted to hit her so bad. My legs ached, goose bumps raising on my skin, and I slumped against the nearest grave stone, the ache in my chest consuming me.

I'd been so selfish, enjoying my time with Jace when my brothers were missing. I was so stupid, fighting the demons just to prove myself to Jace. I should have gone straight to my brothers and got them out of there. Now they were probably with Valentine, being tortured, maybe even dead. My eyes began to sting, but I dug my nails into my sides, using pain to distract myself. I watched Jace pointing across the graves, his eyes half on Clary, half on me. I turned away from him, watching as the last person left the cemetery. I leaned my head back, looking up at the misty grey sky. The sun was hidden behind the clouds, and the chill was increasing, until my teeth chattered uncontrollably.

"Aren't silent brothers supposed to be punctual?" I snapped irritably, clicking my fingers, examining the dirty grass bed, littered with half dead flowers and bits of trash. I picked a crumbling rose with brown petals and started to pull the crispy leaves away from the stem. I twirled the leaf between my fingers like I twirled a knife, and looked up through my lashes at Jace, who looked equally irritable.

"Shut up and keep quite. You'll get us into trouble." He hissed, cutting me a narrowed glance. I shot one right back at him, filled with an anger that didn't really make sense. All I knew was that I had a desperate urge to pound the living daylights out of him, and Clary. He folded his arms over his chest in anger, and Clary stared between us.

"Why don't you shut up for once." I said through gritted teeth. Jace picked up a stone, throwing it up experimentally a few times, before hurling it at me. It bounced off the head stone, leaving a crack the size of my forearm. He'd thrown it to scare me; of course he wasn't trying to hit me. I rolled my eyes, picking up the rock and throwing it back. He dodged it easily, and it hit the ground lamely about a foot behind him. I went back to ripping apart the rose, until I heard Clary gasping. I shot to my feet, looking around the grave yard.

I spotted the silent brother, clad in dark, floating robes. There was no sound as he crossed the gravel path, everything about him was oddly silent. He reached Clary, and pulled back his hood. He had no eyes, but indents where they had once been, dark and hollow. His lips are sown shut with a pattern of dark lines that resemble surgical stitches. Most of his exposed skin is covered with runes, and I fight the repulsion that rose in my throat.

Clarissa Fairchild, Jonathan Wayland and... Who have you brought with you? a voice echoed in my head, and I was startled, looking at Clary, whose face had gone completely white. Obviously the brother had talked into all of our minds. I looked at Jace, who was looking nervously between me and the brother.

"My name is Keira Longthorne. I'm a Shadowhunter." I add the last bit as an afterthought, thinking he wouldn't realise what I was. He nodded, turning his face back to Jace, who was staring at me.

I see. I am Brother Jeremiah. I shall escort you into the Silent City. Follow me. He glided up the steps of a tomb, opened the rough iron gate, and disappeared down the dark stairs. I unfroze first, walking towards the gate, peering down the steps. It was dark, too dark to see, and Brother Jeremiah had simply just disappeared. I felt Jace and Clary behind me, and I looked back at him. Jace pulled out a white stone, clasped it between his fingers, then a brilliant white light exploded through his hand, lighting the first few steps.

"Come on." He urged, letting Clary go first. She hesitantly started to walk down the steps, and I followed close behind, squinting against the dark. The witch light was bright, but didn't show anything further than a couple of feet. Clary slipped on a step, squealing loudly. I grabbed her elbow, steadying her.

"You'll wake the dead." Jace warned, and as we passed a wall made completely out of skulls, the warning seemed completely possible. My fingers traced the outline of bones, while Clary walked on. Jace stopped behind me as we reached the bottom of the steps, and we looked down the spiralling halls. It was impressive; the cavern went far down, rooms and arches carved here and there.

"All our dead are buried here, they work even after death. One day, that will be me." He gestured to the wall, and I felt a shiver run up my spine. I looked back down the drop, the bones that decorated every surface seeming more grim than protecting.

"Not today." I whisper, and Jace gives me a confused look. I brush him off, following Clary towards a large room. There was a large eye painted in the centre of the floor, and a stone sword hung from the ceiling. Silent brothers stood in stone arches, holding nearly identical swords. I was about to join Clary on the speaking stars, when Jace pulled me against him, my arm hitting a bone. I turned and looked at him, but his witch light was gone and the light was hardly bright.

"We can't go any further." He explained, and I nodded. I turned and looked at Clary, who was frozen in place. Her eyes glazed over, and the stone sword started to shine. A light glow surrounded her, and I watched, completely intrigued. I had never seen anything like this. I was just getting used to the whole ordeal when Clary fell to the floor, her fingers twitching across the floor. Without thinking, I rushed forward, falling to my knees at her side. Her hand came to a stop, and her eyes flittered open. She looked up in confusion, then looked at Jace, who was staring at the lines.

It seems you have a block on your mind, only the person who put it there can remove it. Brother Jeremiah's voice echoed through the room. Clary huffed, sitting up and looking at the lines.

"But I don't know who put it there." She whined, and I regretted coming to her aid so quickly.

"Yes you do, you wrote it." He said, drawing lines around the splodges she had made.

"No I didn't." She said defensively, watching over Jace's shoulder.

"It's all a matter of perception." He whispered, finishing the lines. I read the name.

"Bane. Magnus Bane, high warlock of Brooklyn." I said, remembering the name. He'd put the enchantment on my house, keeping those uninvited out. But it had failed. How else would the Forsaken have gotten into my house?

"Isabelle said there was a party tonight. Looks like we are going to gate crash." Jace smirked, and I couldn't help smiling. I loved Warlock parties, they were unbeatable. Last time I'd gone to one, I'd ended up running through an estate completely covered in glitter, wearing a feather boa and nothing more. The smirk on Jace's face made it clear he'd had a similar experience.

"Time to get pretty." I joked.

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**So how did you like this chapter? Jaces POV okay? So now Keira is showing cracks, and her and Jace are not getting on too well anymore. Tell me what you think xx**


	14. Party animals

**Thank you everyone! Ive actually been getting a lot of complaints about my OCs, so I'm thinking about maybe deleting. If it's annoying that many people then I guess its not really worth it. I don't know, but please enjoy this chapter!**

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Isabelle's room was considerably messier after we had rootled through her stuff. Clary had been unsure about getting dressed up, but she looked so pretty in one of Isabelle's black dresses. She wore thigh high boots, and a leather jacket to match. Isabelle started pulling her hair off of her face, twisting and clipping bits here and there.

"So, have you been to a Warlock party before?" I asked Isabelle as I pulled strands behind my ears, clipping them there in a half up, half down do. The dress she had given me was a dark navy, made of something thin and floaty. The top was a corset, made from navy leather, with long laces down the back and ivory boning. The skirt was only thigh high, and stuck out in wisps like a ballet tutu, cut almost jaggedly to give it a more indie, punk rocker look. It was beautiful, if a bit promiscuous, I wore black combat boots that laced up the side, only contributing to the whole, sexy rocker girl look. Isabelle kept messing about with Clary's make up, painting her lips, adjusting her mascara.

"Oh, a few." She said offhandedly, and I smiled, doing my makeup. I raised a mascara brush to my face, but before I could do it, Isabelle took it off of me. I raised my eyebrows at her, and she smiled, pointing up.

"I'll do it." she smiled, and I nodded gratefully. I hardly ever had girly moments, in a family off all boys, it was impossible. Isabelle did my makeup, Clary contributing by choosing different colours or shades of lip gloss. When they were done, I looked into the mirror. I looked beautiful, my eyes smoky, my lips a shiny rose colour. I smiled, then headed to the door, reaching for the handle. I opened the door, greeted by three staring boys. Ryan looked me up and down, his eyes wide in shock. Simons mouth gapped open, and Jace just gave me a smirk, taking in my new look. Clary joined me, and Simon instantly blushed, eyes alight. Isabelle was last into the corridor, smiling as she looked over the boy's reactions. She frowned, looking around, and Jace saw her worried expression.

"Alec will be here soon." Jace reassured her.

"Clary, what are you wearing?" Simon exclaimed, and Jace grinned. Clary huffed, running her hands over her dress, just as Alec walked down the hall.

"It's a dress Simon, I know I don't wear one often. I told you Isabelle, it's too much!" she hissed, and Isabelle brushed her off, looking to her brother.

"You look nice! Doesn't she look nice, Alec?" she asked, and he looked Clary up and down distastefully.

"She looks like her number should be on a bathroom wall." He shot, then his eyes landed on me. "Keira, you look nice." He says, then walks down the hall. I blushed a little, Ryan nodding his approval at me, before taking me by the arm and walking after Alec. Clary and Simon chatted behind us, and Isabelle and Jace caught up with Alec, eagerly talking about the party. Ryan was dressed in jeans, looking sort of plain next to the Alec and Jace, who wore Shadowhunter gear, but I didn't care. He smiled at me, and I smiled back, leaning into him when we came to a stop near the elevators. He lowered his lips to my ear, hands braced on my shoulders.

"I sorted out the house, your art things are in your room. I got some other things too." He whispered, and I smiled in delight, my eyes catching Jace's across the room. He was staring at us, his eyes narrowed, and I felt slightly embarrassed in Ryan's arms, something that had never happened before. I pulled away as the elevator pinged, the doors opening. I stepped inside, cramped and pressed against the mirrors, Jace's elbow pressed firmly into my ribs. Isabelle was crushed into Ryan's chest, not that she seemed to mind. He smiled at her as they talked quietly, and a part of me felt jealous. Isabelle was elegant and beautiful and new, like a flat screen TV. I was just the old, broken cassette player in comparison.

When the elevator opened, I darted out, stirring dust from the ground as I ran to the front door. I flung it open, gulping in air, my head spinning from lack of space. I'd always been mildly claustrophobic, small spaces scared the hell out of me. I looked at the night sky, the stars shinning and waited for everyone else to join me.

"Are you going to throw up on us? Because if you are, then stay away from my shoes. They're new." Jace said, and I rolled my eyes, looking at Ryan as he talked to Isabelle. I turned to Alec, awaiting orders, and he gestures for us to start walking. I walked in silence, ignoring Jace's witty comments and retorts, only mumbling yes or no when he became insufferable. Finally we reached Magnus's house, and Clary gasped.

"I've been here before..." she trailed off, and Jace walked to the door, knocking on it. The eye hole opened, and just like that, Jace drew a rune, blinding the guard. He thrust his arm inside the door, and unlocked it, pushing it open. We walked in, and I was about to join the crowds when Jace stopped me, looking into my eyes.

"You be carefully, we wouldn't want you to end up..." he raised his eyebrows suggestively, looking me up and down, a smirk crossing his face "Indecent." The way he said it made my stomach tighten, my cheeks growing hot. I duck away from him, joining the dancing crowds, swaying to the faerie music. Faerie's, warlocks, vampires, even werewolves danced around me, there were no mundane's, but that didn't surprise me. I dance alone, getting many offers from Downworlder's, but I turned them down. I saw Simon with Isabelle, laughing, and Clary off to the side. Alec, Ryan and Jace stood together awkwardly, and I pranced over to them, picking up a cup of pink liquid.

"Jace, come dance with me!" I begged, raising my voice so he could hear me over the music. He looked at the liquid and snatched it from me, letting it drop to the floor. The liquid disappeared almost instantly, glass turning into dust. I roll my eyes, pulling at his sleeve, but he nudges me away. The music increases in tempo, and I look at him pleadingly.

"I don't dance." At that Alec laughed, trying to hide it behind an awkward cough. I turn to Ryan, and he smiles, taking me by the arm and pulling me onto the dance floor. He pulled me against him, mirroring the other sexy dances around us. I remember dancing like this in Paris, thinking it very inappropriate, but enjoying it anyway. His hands pressed into my back, hips grinding against mine, and we rocked to the rhythm. The heat increased in the room, and sweat plastered my hair to my forehead. I threw my head back, laughing as his fingers pinched at my waist, hitting a ticklish spot. I wound my fingers into his hair, his hand pulling at the hem of my skirt, brushing my legs, moving higher... Before I could continue with the dance, I spotted Magnus Bane, heading towards Jace and the others. I pulled away from Ryan, joining the group, and Jace raised an eyebrow at me.

"Having fun?" he mocked, and I didn't get to snap at him before Magnus, in his underwear and open top, blue hair spiked with glitter, addressed the group.

"I don't remember inviting any of the Nephilim, I must have been drunk." He looked us up and down, his eyes resting on me a little longer than the others.

"Great party you have here." Jace looked around, and Magnus gave a half smile, staring at Alec over Jace's shoulder.

"Well, you better not kill any of my guests. I'm only letting you stay because of the hot one." He smirked, and Jace laughed.

"Thanks." Isabelle and Jace said at the same time. Everyone turned to stare at Jace, who shrugged.

"What? I meant the one with the blue eyes." He gestures to Alec, who blushes uncontrollably. So he is gay, I think to myself.

"And because of Clary." Magnus adds. Clary looks up, and her eyes open wide. She hadn't believed this was going to work, and even I had doubted it, but obviously it was true. He gestured to Clary, and she followed him. Jace watched her go, and Simon attempted to follow, but Isabelle grabbed him, and dragged him onto the dance floor. I was about to turn and ask Ryan to dance with me again, but he had already been grabbed by a werewolf girl with dark black hair and brown eyes. I turned back to Jace, raising my eyebrow and offering him my hand. He rolled his eyes, but took it anyway.

The music was slow, a faerie band was playing, and it sounded low, almost mystical. He put his hands on my waist, and I linked my arms around his neck, swaying softly. I pressed my cheek against his shoulder, and he laughed softly, hands travelling up my back. He spins me out and I gasp slightly, almost hitting a vampire in the chest. He pulls me into his chest sharply, and there's a dull thud. I look up into his eyes, smiling, and move my hands onto his neck.

"Enjoying the party?" he asked.

"I've been to better." I said offhandedly, and he gave me a questioning look.

"Obviously that's because you did a little more than dirty dance with wolf boy." He mocked, and I pulled back, dropping my hands from his neck. Why does he have to do that? Every time he becomes half decent, he ruins it.

"What is your problem, Jace?" I shout angrily, my arms crossed over my chest.

"What makes you think I have a problem?" he said slyly, twirling a piece of my hair around his fingers. I snatch it back, tucking it behind my ear.

"Stop it! Stop with all the mocking and the macho male thing. Stop trying to distract me, it's not going to work." I spat, and his eyes darken. He steps forward, body brushing mine, and I push him away.

"I am macho, unlike your little mutt. You just can't stand the fact that you're not the object of desire, and there are people better than you." He smirked, and I slapped him, so hard he flinched. His eyes blazed, and I set my jaw, staring at him angrily. No one insulted Ryan, not when I was in ear shot. Jace flashed me a smirk, and I turned away from him, not wanting to do something I would regret. I stormed over to where Alec stood, meeting his eyes angrily. He raised his eyebrows, looking over my shoulder and rolling his eyes. I turned, and saw that Jace had already found a new dance partner.

"What happened?" Alec asked, and I huffed in exasperation, getting to the end of my already short temper. How could he stand to stay around Jace all the time, I could barely be around him for ten minutes. I guess loving someone makes it hard to hate them...

"He's an insufferable asshole. He's lucky we're in polite company, or I would have done alot worse." At the mention of polite company, Alec gives me and incredulous look, raising his eyebrows at a couple of werewolves parading around half naked. "Okay, maybe not polite..." I correct and he laughs, looking over my shoulder at Jace, who was staring at us. His dance partner, a silver haired faerie girl, looked like some sort of arctic angel, with bright blue eyes and pale snow like skin. I started to wonder if she'd be cold to touch, then snapped out of it, turning back to Alec, who was watching me curiously.

"He can be an insufferable asshole, but when you get to know him, he's not that bad." Alec said defensively, and I rolled my eyes, watching Jace as he changed dance partners over and over, going from girl to girl, finally ending up with the ice princess again.

"Oh yeah, sure. When you get past the fact he's a flirt. But I guess you know him better than I do." I reluctantly agree, and Alec nods, frowning as the ice girl leans forward to whisper in Jace's ear. I caught sight of Ryan with another werewolf, whose white blonde hair, green eyes and pretty face made my stomach clench in a sort of fear. She threw her head back laughing, putting her hands on his chest, pulling him into her. I bit my lip hard to stop myself from calling him over, and Alec sighed.

"Jealously is a pain in the back side isn't it." He sighed again, and I faced him, raising my eyebrows questioningly. He nodded to Ryan and the girl, and I looked down, not realising I was being so transparent. The girl was so pretty, and, yes this sounds so very selfish, but I didn't want someone to take some of our time together away.

"Sure is. So I'm guessing..." I gestured to Jace, and Alec went red. He shook his head fiercely, and I narrowed my eyes questioningly. Before Alec could explain himself, I heard Isabelle scream. I turned and saw her running towards us, and Jace following behind her. Her eyes were wide in fear, and I looked around for Simon.

"Vampires took Simon!" Isabelle exclaimed. Well, that explains that. Jace rolled his eyes, and I looked to the room Clary had disappeared into. I could see her, talking to Magnus, and felt fear clench in my stomach. Clary was going to fall apart. Ryan joined us and noticed the silent tension, looking from face to face, his eyes finally resting on my face. I looked away from him and at Isabelle, who looked distraught and panicked.

"We have to get Clary and go. Now, before they-" I broke off, and even though I didn't really know Simon that well, I'd see his band play, and I knew Ryan was pretty good friends with him. I couldn't bear the thought of him being hurt. Instantly Jace ran towards the room Clary was in and stuck his head around the door. I headed towards the exit, and Ryan caught my wrist.

"Are you okay?" he asked, and I smiled, looking at the blonde werewolf who was watching us still, with a jealous expression on her face. I saw Clary rushing away from Magnus, fear in her eyes, and I could see the telltale shine of tears. Magnus met my eyes across the room, and he nodded once, a wise, encouraging look in his eyes.

"Come on, we need to find Simon." I pulled Ryan out with me, and then when we were all outside, Jace started to walk towards the nearest church. Clary was silent, she didn't scream or shout or even complain, she just kept her head down and walked next to Jace.

* * *

**so what do you think? Cheeky little slap there. Developing Ryan and her relationship because I don't think there's been a lot about him yet. give me your opinion about deleting please, I trust your judgement xx**


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